And the Truth Shall Set You Free
by Storywriter55
Summary: Neal is forced to face his past as his son struggles to stay true to himself. Part of the Milestones series (19.1 years)
1. Chapter 1

**And the Truth Shall Set You Free**

 **Chapter 1**

19.1 years

The letter arrived in the mail on the second Friday in May. Sara brought it in from the mailbox in front of the cute little house on Meadowbrook Street along with a couple of sales flyers and the monthly hydro bill. Although there was nowhere near the same volume of snail mail these days, there was still a daily delivery of odds and ends and Sara Ellis was usually the one to bring it in on her way in from work.

'Liam!' she called out as she closed the door behind her.

Raffie was at her feet instantly, greeting his master as she returned to the fold, his tail wagging madly in anticipation of what – no one really knew. She gave the dog a dismissive pat on the head as she glanced idly through the stack of mail.

'Hi Mom' she heard from the kitchen.

She walked in, Raffie on her heels, to find her teenage son sitting at the kitchen table with his best friend, Will Allenby. The two boys looked up, obviously immersed in some convoluted math problem - if the books which were lying on the kitchen table were any indication.

'Hey honey. Hi Will' Sara said as she absent-mindedly threw the pile of mail in the small wicker basket that sat on the kitchen counter for just that purpose.

'Any news from Dad?' Sara asked her son.

'No. He left a little over an hour ago' Liam responded.

Sara checked the time, her eyes excited.

'She should be getting off the train right about now' she said musingly. 'Did you guys get something to eat?'

'We're good' Liam responded as the two boys returned to their homework.

'Would you like to stay for dinner, Will?' Sara asked of Liam's best friend.

'My mom wants me home. My grandma's coming over tonight' Will said regrettably.

He loved eating over at the Caffreys. Liam's dad was a much better cook than his mom was and when he went home, he had to put up with his parents' constant bickering at the dinner table; Liam was so lucky to have parents who got along.

'Did Dad say anything about dinner?' Sara asked as she began to rummage through the fridge, looking for clues as to what Neal had planned for their daughter's homecoming meal.

'Yeah, he said for you to throw the spaghetti sauce on to simmer and he would do the rest when he got back' Liam said, returning to the task at hand.

Sara smiled to herself; spaghetti was one of Hope's all-time favorite meals. It was no coincidence Neal had chosen pasta for her first night back. She thought ahead to the next couple of months; all of them living under one roof again. It would be fun to have Hope back in the house. Of their two kids, Hope was definitely the lively one and when she was in the house, there was an awful lot of moving and shaking going on. Liam, on the other hand, was much more introspective and quiet and did his thing without fuss or muss; they were both so different, yet she loved them equally for very different reasons.

She walked over to where the boys sat and she placed a loving hand on her son's back as he turned and grinned at her. Her family was going to be whole again and Sara Ellis couldn't wait.

WCWCWC

Penn Station on a Friday evening at dinner time was a busy place to be; especially at this time of year – with university students returning home or coming to New York to work for the summer. Hope had been gone for four months and she'd just completed her first, very successful semester at Carnegie Mellon University. Except for their weekly chats on Skype and the occasional phone call, Neal hadn't laid eyes on his daughter since he'd dropped her off in Pittsburgh right after New Year's Day.

He could still see her standing in her dorm, looking so young, so fragile as he'd turned to leave, feeling as though he was somehow abandoning his little girl. She hadn't looked back when he'd finally left; she'd been immersed in conversation with her new roommate and although Neal knew she had everything she needed to make a go of it, he remembered the tightness in his chest as he'd finally walked to the car to begin the long, lonely drive home. He recalled how he'd called Sara from the car, needing to share his heartbreak with the one person who knew exactly how he felt and how the two of them had shed a tear over the phone as he'd prepared to drive out of the city which would be home to his daughter for the foreseeable future.

But the flipside of saying goodbye was the eventual excitement of saying hello again and Neal eagerly checked the time on the huge clock looming over him in the train station: 6:14. Her train would be pulling in any second now, according to the large arrivals board. He could feel his pulse racing as he continued to wait not so patiently for the announcement of the Pittsburgh train's arrival.

Hope would be home for the summer months and Neal had _so_ many plans for them as a family. She'd agreed to work at the gallery as well as do some teaching at the new school and Neal hoped to convince his wife and kids to take a trip up north to the cottage they all loved in the Muskokas – something they'd been doing for years. Of course, there was Cameron to consider; he and Hope were still officially an item but they'd decided not to hold each other back by being exclusive although Neal knew for a fact that Cam had been faithful to his daughter since her departure. It was obvious that the young couple had deep feelings for one another but they were both wise enough to realize that most long-distance relationships didn't survive and Hope, especially, had wanted Cameron to feel free to date other girls while she explored life in another city, far away. She would be meeting lots of new people; after all, she was a social butterfly just like her dad and Neal realized all bets were off as Hope explored a new life with new friends.

Neal's musings were interrupted by the announcement that the Pittsburgh train had just pulled in on track 5 and he slowly made his way closer, anxious to see his little girl stepping onto the platform. He took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on the arrival gate.

WCWCWC

Peter Burke glanced over at Cameron Armstrong who was doing his best impression of a gallery manager, sorting through invoices and keeping his hands busy although it was as clear as the nose on his face that his mind was elsewhere.

'Cam' Peter said as he came closer 'Why don't you head out? I can handle any customers that come in tonight'.

Cameron looked up, his eyes excited. 'Are you sure?' he asked.

'Of course I'm sure. It's Hope's first night back – go on, I'll take care of things here' Peter said as he brought his hand to the young man's back and gave him a friendly pat.

Ever since Neal had opened the June Ellington School of Art almost six months earlier, Cam had been promoted to the position of manager at the Raphael Gallery. Neal still made daily visits to his beloved gallery but getting the new school on its feet had become his main priority and the new venture was taking up most of his time. Although he had fully recovered from the gunshot wound he'd suffered the previous summer, he still needed lots of rest and Sara watched him like a hawk; after all Neal was no spring chicken, no matter what he thought.

Peter's involvement with the Raphael Gallery had increased over time; he'd started out lending a helping hand with the books as he adjusted to retirement from his over 35 years with the FBI. Following Neal's life threatening injury, however, Peter had stepped into the breach and taken on the bulk of the day to day operations of the gallery while his partner recovered. Then, following June's death and the large inheritance she'd left for him, Neal's focus had shifted to setting up the new school that carried her name. Now, Peter worked full-time at the gallery, seeing to the business end of their joint project as Cameron took on the creative side of things with Neal keeping a close eye on both his ventures.

El had been thankful for something to keep her husband's mind occupied; the first few months after Peter's retirement had been painfully difficult for both of them and his recent focus on the gallery had been perfectly timed to coincide with their transition to a less hectic life. For her part, Elizabeth still ran some events for Burke Premiere Events but she'd passed on the day to day operation to her right hand woman, Yvonne Pearson and she was enjoying an increasing amount of down time as she relaxed and eased into retirement herself.

'But...' Cam protested 'What about Mr. Caffrey?'

Neal knew Cam's schedule at the gallery and the young man didn't want to do anything his boss wouldn't approve of, especially since he'd be sitting across the table from him at dinner if he drove himself out to White Plains for his long-awaited reunion with Hope.

'I'll take care of Neal; don't worry about it' Peter said with a smile.

'Thanks, thanks Mr. Burke' Cam said sincerely, a huge smile breaking out on his face.

He was out the door within seconds, practically running as he headed out to his beat up car parked nearby. Peter watched and picked up his phone to call home.

'Honey' he said 'I'm going to be a little late...'

Ah, young love!

WCWCWC

'Daddy!' Neal heard from a distance as Hope came running towards him.

She looked great - healthy and happy and Neal put out his arms to greet her as she threw her arms around his neck.

'I missed you so much!' she said as she felt him lift her off the ground in a warm hug.

'Let me look at you' Neal said as he put her back down to get a better look.

Hope could see a small tear preparing to fall from Neal's eyes and he swatted at it, hoping she hadn't noticed.

'You look amazing!' he said with a huge smile.

'So do you! You look even better than when I left. You've put on some weight' she noticed, thankful that Neal had returned to his previous fighting weight following his recent ordeal.

'Make sure you tell Mom that; she's still trying to get me to put on a few pounds' he said with a laugh.

Hope's eyes darted around them, obviously looking for something – or was that someone.

'Cam's not here?' she asked.

'He's working until nine but he asked me to tell you that he'll be over as soon as the gallery closes' Neal explained.

She smiled back and Neal could see excitement dancing in her eyes; apparently, she hadn't met anyone in Pittsburgh who made her heart flutter the way Cameron Armstrong did.

'So, are you hungry? I'm making spaghetti for dinner' he said as he took her backpack in one hand and placed his other arm around her shoulder. 'Mom and Liam are waiting back at the house and I wouldn't be surprised if Mozzie was there too.'

'Spaghetti! Oh, Dad, I haven't had your spaghetti since... since before the holidays. I can't wait!' she shrieked. 'Are you going to make garlic bread?'

Neal gave her a shrug – of course, there'd be garlic bread.

His little girl was home and Neal couldn't be happier.

WCWCWC

'Does this look right?' Mozzie asked of Liam who was setting the table nearby.

'A little more garlic butter' Liam instructed.

He'd been watching his dad make garlic bread since he was knee high to a grasshopper and he knew that the bread/butter ratio was the most important factor in getting it right.

'So, when's your next game?' Mozzie asked.

'Tuesday night' Liam responded.

School would be out in a little over a month and Liam's basketball team was in the finals for the City Cup with Liam the top scorer in the league.

'Are you going to come and watch?' the teenager asked.

'Wouldn't miss it!' Mozzie said as they heard a commotion at the front door.

Suddenly, Sara reappeared with Cameron in tow, eyes glowing like a little boy who'd been allowed into the candy store.

'Better set one more place' Sara said to Liam 'Looks like Uncle Peter took pity on our boy here.'

Sara gave Cameron a playful shove; even with Hope away at school, the young man was a permanent fixture in their home and Neal often invited him over for dinner, ostensibly to discuss the goings on at the gallery although, truth be told, she knew her husband enjoyed having the young man around.

His phone vibrated and Cam looked down at it, a goofy grin on his face.

'It's Hope' he said, his voice excited 'They're on their way home.'

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The extended Caffrey family was waiting by the front door of the house when the car carrying Hope and Neal finally pulled into the driveway.

'Mom!' Hope exclaimed as she stepped out of the car, spotting her mom out on the front porch, arms open wide.

'Oh, honey, you're home!' Sara said, running to meet her daughter halfway, eyes brimming with tears.

The women hugged; a warm, familiar hug that somehow felt strangely peculiar after having spent so much time apart.

'I missed you _so_ much' Sara said as Hope beamed in response.

Hope lifted her eyes, spotting Cam just inside the front door standing there, waiting patiently for his turn to welcome her home. She ran towards him, her eyes shining brightly and she threw herself into his waiting arms as her parents watched, a soft, knowing smile on their faces. Cam scooped her up off the ground, twirling her in the air as Hope laughed heartily, giddy at finally being in his arms after months away from each other. Their lips met in a passionate kiss and Liam watched, unable to hold back a wisecrack.

'Hey! Carnegie Mellon girl, what about the rest of us?' he said as Hope turned to give her baby brother a kiss and a hug.

'Hey squirt!' she said lovingly as she poked him in the arm, laughing.

'Uncle Mozzie! Hi!' she said as she turned to hug her second favorite uncle.

Suddenly, there was an awkward silence and everyone giggled nervously as emotions seemed to be on the rise.

'How about I bring your stuff up to your room?' Neal said as he carried Hope's bag into the front hall.

'That's okay, Mr. Caffrey. I've got it' Cam said as he took the bag from Neal, obviously hoping to spend a few more moments alone with his girlfriend.

'Yeah, I'll give him a hand...' Hope added with a shy smile. 'We'll be right back.'

Neal and Liam exchanged knowing looks as the young couple headed up the stairs; dinner might be a few minutes late.

WCWCWC

'Dad, this tastes even better than I remembered' Hope said as she put her plate out for her mom to pile on another heaping serving of pasta.

'It's the same recipe I always make' Neal said as he watched with amusement.

'Well, it tastes amazing' she added 'Try eating cafeteria food morning, noon and night!'

'I agree' Cam said as he slipped his hand under the table and onto Hope's lap. 'It's delicious'

'So, tell us...' Sara said, turning to face her daughter. 'We want to know everything, _every_ little thing'

'Well, I've got all summer to fill you in, thank God' answered Hope as she tucked into her second plateful of spaghetti.

'Did you want a few days of down time before I start putting you to work?' Neal asked, already thinking ahead to the next few weeks.

'No!' Hope said adamant 'I want to go to the gallery tomorrow and check things out. And you said you had a class I could take over at the school...'

'Whoa, whoa, whoa' Neal said putting his hand out. 'Like you said, we've got all summer. School isn't out for the younger kids for another six weeks but we've got some after school classes and some weekend stuff if you're interested.'

'Definitely...anything you need, Dad' she said with a wide grin.

'You can help out at the gallery too, if you want' Cam said, tipping his hand 'We're coming up to our busy time and we still run those art appreciation classes a couple of times a week'

Neal cocked an eyebrow in agreement and said with a shrug: 'See, there's plenty to choose from.'

WCWCWC

After dinner, Cam and Hope agreed to go their separate ways so Hope could settle in; after all, she'd be heading over to his place for the weekend and there'd be plenty of time for them to catch up then.

By 11:00, Neal and Sara were ready to hit the sack and they kissed both their kids goodnight and headed up to bed while Hope and Liam settled in on the family room couch, finally catching up after months of being apart. Although they'd texted regularly while Hope was away, there had been very little in the way of in-depth conversations and they were both anxious to fill each other in on their busy lives.

'So, how do you like Pittsburgh?' Liam asked as they sat side by side.

'It's great! Liam, there's a whole world out there!' she said, her gaze faraway.

'A lot of people say that when they come to visit New York' he remarked.

'You're right. New York _is_ amazing but you know... I've lived here all my life and... well, there's other stuff out there, other people...'

'Are you telling me you've met another guy?' he asked.

'No... well, yeah, lots of other guys' she answered coyly.

'You know what I mean' he said, looking for a straight answer.

Despite the five year age difference between them, the brother and sister duo had always been close, more so as they'd gotten older and Liam could read his sister like a book, a wide open book.

'Well, there _is_ this guy in my psych class that's been... sort of hanging around lately...' she admitted.

'Oh yeah? Well, you looked pretty excited to see Cam just now' Liam said, stating the obvious.

'I was. I mean, I am. I still care for him and... well, I guess I love him. I'm just not sure I'm _in love_ with him' she answered wistfully.

'Well, _he's_ crazy about you, that's for sure. He hangs around here all the time. Dad keeps inviting him over for dinner and stuff and...well, a couple of times, I found him in your room just lying on your bed and looking around. He's got it bad, Hope' the young man said.

She let out a sigh; the last thing in the world she wanted was to lead Cameron on or worse yet, end up breaking his heart. He'd been her first real love and she would always have a special place in her heart for him, no matter how things played out in the future. Now that she was home for the summer, it was the perfect opportunity to see how she felt about him, to see if the magic was still there.

'What about you? Have you told Mom and Dad yet?' she asked, looking into his eyes.

He hesitated before answering. 'No...not yet'

'Liam, what are you waiting for? It isn't going to make an iota of difference to Mom and Dad' Hope said in her usual no-nonsense tone of voice.

'I know, I just... I guess I'm still figuring things out for myself' he said, his voice quiet.

'Is there anyone special in the picture?' she asked, noticing a smile on his face.

'Yeah, there's this one guy in my biology class' he admitted shyly.

'Oh yeah? What's his name?' she said teasingly, just like a big sister.

'Cody' he said with a faraway smile.

'Is he cute?' she asked, her eyes alight.

'Duh, of course' Liam answered, laughing out loud.

She watched his face, seeing the same excitement she'd felt when she'd first met Cameron – unclear where it was all going but anxious to find out.

'Is he out?' she asked.

'Yeah' he answered softly. 'That helps. Everybody knows... so I'm not getting any grief about hanging out with him... for now'

'Well, don't take any crap from anybody, Liam' Hope warned.

'Don't worry, I won't' he answered, cocky.

'So, did you want to hang out with Cam and me this weekend?' she asked.

'Yeah!' he answered.

WCWCWC

'That new teacher I hired is fantastic' Neal said as he and Sara lay in bed, quietly chatting, the obligatory end of the day cuddle and heart to heart.

'Marcus?' she asked, requiring clarification.

'Yeah, Marcus. He is _great_ with the kids; he's only been there a couple of weeks but he's already making headway with Caitlin' Neal answered.

'Wow! That's a feat!' Sara agreed.

Caitlin Somersby was one of Neal's students at the art school and she'd been a handful since the day she'd walked into the place. She was just shy of 16 and she'd already been arrested twice for breaking and entering and she'd begun experimenting with drugs, well on her way to a life of crime if someone didn't intervene and bring her back from the brink - and soon. Her saving grace was her incredible talent for sculpting, something that hadn't escaped her art teacher at the high school she attended in the Bronx.

Caitlin lived in foster care – her third placement in as many years as foster parents struggled with trying to keep her on the straight and narrow. Neal had taken her under his wing, seeing definite similarities between the young girl's life and the one he'd lived in his youth. Although he'd been lucky enough to live at home with his mom and had Ellen living nearby, his mother had never taken an interest in Neal and what made him tick, leaving him to gradually drift towards the life of crime he'd later fought so hard to escape. Keeping Caitlin out of trouble had become a priority for the ex conman and had begun to take up a lot of his time; he was hell bent on bringing her around – no matter what.

'Apparently, her biological mother has asked for visitation rights' Neal said, his voice soft.

'Is that a good thing?' Sara asked, feeling Neal's body tensing up.

'She's been in and out of jail herself, struggling with drug abuse but the courts seem to think she's ready to come back into her daughter's life' he said.

'That wasn't an answer' Sara reminded him.

'I don't know...' Neal said, letting his voice fade as his thoughts returned to having Hope home again for the summer.

'Isn't it great to have Hope home?' he said, changing the subject, his voice much lighter.

'She looks terrific' Sara said as she pulled Neal closer.

'She does, doesn't she?' he said, his voice unsure. 'There's something different about her, though'

'Of course there is' Sara answered. 'She's out there in the world, seeing things she's never seen, doing things she's never done, meeting new people. She's growing up, Neal.'

Neal let out a sigh. No matter her age or what she was doing in life, Hope would always be his little girl, his 'sweet pea' and as happy as he was to see her coming into her own, his heart wasn't quite ready to let her go.

'She seemed pleased to see Cam' Sara remarked.

'Yeah, when I picked her up, I think she was a little disappointed he wasn't along for the ride' Neal said.

'Well, they have all summer to hang out and figure things out for themselves' Sara responded.

'Yeah... speaking of which, what do you say we book the cottage for a week in August. We haven't gone in two years' Neal said.

'I'm up for it. We'll have to check with the kids, though. Liam's talking about getting a job at Budd's Gardens'

'Liam? Selling flowers?' Neal said, surprised. 'Yeah, I suppose I could see that'

'By the way, I saw the stuff you left hanging around for him to read' he continued. 'You're about as subtle as a bull in a china shop'

'What? We've got to get the conversation going somehow' she said defensively.

'Liam will come out to us when he's good and ready, Sara. We've talked about this. Give him some space' Neal said, a touch of rebuke in his voice.

'I know... I just keep thinking that he's not telling us because he's afraid of how we'll react'

'He's just figuring things out for himself. Look, we've always been open with him and he knows we love him, no matter what. Coming out to your parents is a big deal' Neal said, his voice thoughtful.

'You sound like you're speaking from experience' Sara whispered.

'Let's just say, I've kept my share of secrets in my life and it's no good when people prod you into telling them. He'll share when he's good and ready' Neal said.

Sara let out a deep sigh. All she'd ever wanted was for her kids to be happy and she didn't want them to ever feel they couldn't share what was on their minds with her and Neal.

'You know, they're growing up' Neal continued 'and we're not necessarily going to be the ones they want to share their secrets with. Look at Hope and Peter – how many times has she told him stuff before she comes to us'

'I guess... I just... It's hard to let go of them and not always be the most important people in their lives' Sara admitted longingly.

'Well' Neal said, pulling her closer and depositing a kiss on the top of her head '...for what it's worth, you'll always be the single most important person in _my_ life'

'Aww Caffrey. You say the sweetest things'

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Saturday dawned, a late spring day – cool yet bright and sunny with the promise of summer in the air. Sara turned lazily in bed, searching for her usual anchor only to find cool sheets where Neal had been just moments before – or so it seemed. She smiled as she remembered that the bedroom down the hall was occupied this morning, a welcome thought to start her day. The smell of Italian Roast hit her nostrils, her grin growing exponentially broader and suddenly, the thought of cradling a nice piping hot cup of coffee in her hands trumped lazing around any longer and she reached for her robe on the nearby chair. She pulled the kids' bedroom doors shut as she went, neither one of them moving on inch when she peeked in on them, and she padded down the stairs to join Neal.

'You're up early' she mumbled as she followed her nose to the kitchen, spying him sitting at the kitchen table, already hard at work.

'Well, Master Raphael here decided he just _had_ to go pee at 6:45' Neal said, obviously resigned to the fact he'd been dragged out of bed by their four legged friend at such an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning.

Sara stumbled past him, in quest for caffeine, stopping momentarily to ruffle her husband's hair while Raffie looked up from Neal's feet, hoping for a cuddle.

'Honey, is this you?' Neal asked as he pointed to an item on their Visa bill.

Sara squinted to see; ever since she'd turned 50, eyeglasses were a must if she wanted to read _anything_ and she absolutely _hated_ it.

Seeing she was struggling to make out what was in front of her eyes, Neal brought the bill closer to his face, glasses on the tip of his nose.

'Staples - $64.43' he read.

'Oh, yeah. That was some stuff for school for Liam' she nodded as she reached into the cupboard, grabbing for her favorite cup.

Once a month, usually on a Saturday morning, Neal would set up at the kitchen table with the laptop, paying off their bills and checking if the preauthorized payments had gone through their joint checking account. He enjoyed the ritual – it gave him a sense of order and control over things; he'd inherited the task early in their marriage and had never sought to relinquish it.

'So, what's on the program today?' he asked as he rummaged through the mail scattered on the table.

'Oh, you know. Saturday stuff... errands... I think Hope's heading over to Cam's for the weekend but I managed to talk them into coming over for Sunday dinner, at least' she said as she poured herself a cup of the heavenly brew.

Neal laughed. 'I'm not sure we'll be seeing all that much more of her now that she's home'

Sara shrugged. 'Oh, well. She's nearby at least'

'What do you want me to make for dinner tonight?' Neal asked, his eyes still glued to the computer screen.

'Well, El was saying she missed your Osso Buco the other day' Sara said as she glanced at the pile of mail, attempting to sort the junk from the bills without the benefit of 20/20 vision.

'Make sure you check the recipe before you do the grocery shopping' he reminded her.

'What about you? What are you up to today?' she asked as she reached out to touch his hand.

'I want to pop in at the school before lunch and check on the new class. Oh, and Peter and I are meeting for lunch; we want to talk about the new kids' section at the gallery' he said with a smile.

Sara gazed at her husband with pride. Ever since they'd opened the June Ellington School of Art, he'd been on a mission to give the young kids he met there a better chance at a good life. Most of them came from underprivileged backgrounds and were struggling at school either academically or socially as they searched for their place in the world. Neal knew what it was like to be misunderstood and undervalued; it led to a life of wandering – wandering from one thing to another until you finally found that place where you felt competent even if, in his case, his talents had regrettably led him to a life of crime. His face lit up as he got an idea.

'Would you be okay if I invited Caitlin over for dinner one night this week?' he asked.

Sara thought for a second before answering; she worried about Neal getting overly invested in his students but she knew that this was what made him tick, what gave him purpose.

'Are you sure that's a good idea?' she asked, urging him to slow down and think things through.

'She could see what a regular family looks like, how we talk to each other, how we treat each other... and with Hope home... I don't know, I think she could be a really good influence on Caitlin, show her that there are things out there that are worth fighting for' he said, his eyes shining.

Sara reached out to touch his face, seeing the excitement there.

'Whatever you think, honey' she said, finally.

Her eyes lingered to the pile of papers on the table, noticing one lone envelope still sitting in the wicker basket.

'Oops, you missed one' she said as her eyes strained to make out the return address.

Neal abruptly took the envelope from her hand and she could see a fleeting look of discomfort in his eyes as he immediately ripped it in two and added it to the pile of junk mail destined for the recycle bin.

'It's just junk' he said, dismissively.

WCWCWC

'So how much floor space do you want to dedicate to this new kids' section?' Peter asked as he tucked into his Reuben sandwich.

'As much as we can spare' Neal answered immediately.

'Well, don't forget we've got that Kate Burrows exhibit coming in next month and that's... what, at least six pieces' Peter reminded Neal.

Neal nodded as he remembered the new artist he'd discovered as he and Sara had taken a stroll through the village a few months before. He'd become captivated by her style and he'd committed to putting some of her stuff out on commission to give her some well deserved publicity.

'It can be small to start' Neal added. 'I just feel like there are some really promising artists at the school and even with our large exhibit hall, they're just not getting the exposure they need'

His eyes grew animated as he continued. 'You know, there's this kid, Darryl Holloway, he's only twelve but, Peter, you should see what this guy can do...'

He continued to talk excitedly as Peter watched him. Neal had been over the moon when they'd opened the gallery a couple of years earlier and his intent had always been to showcase some of the wonderful artwork the students from his Art History class at NYU were producing. Now that he was meeting even younger kids with talent, he wanted to give them a place to shine and be seen by the world and a gallery in downtown Manhattan was exposure that was unheard of for these budding artists.

'How's that kid doing?' Peter asked.

'You mean Caitlin?' Neal asked as Peter nodded in response.

'She's a mess. I had to go down and bail her out last week. She cut school and decided it would be a good idea to break into a couple of houses and help herself to a few CDs' Neal said with dismay. 'You know, she won't be a young offender forever and she's going to end up in jail if I don't find a way to straighten her out'

It was always interesting for Peter to watch Neal as he worked so hard to bring his wayward students to the right side of the law. Considering his ex-CI's roots and rough beginning in life, it was impressive to see him take such an interest in helping others like himself who struggled to make a go of things. Neal knew, better than anyone else, that there was always hope and that you could make a better life for yourself if you made the right choices.

Neal stopped talking and he took a couple of bites of his frittata as his mind seemed to wander.

'You sure you're okay?' Peter asked as he spied a faraway look in his best friend's eyes.

He'd noticed Neal was a bit off when he'd first come in but he'd dismissed it almost immediately as they'd begun to talk about the gallery. But that troubled look was back and he couldn't ignore it any longer.

Neal hesitated for a moment before speaking.

'Is it Hope?' Peter asked, prodding him to open up.

'No, no Hope's great. She says hi by the way. She and Cam said they were going to drop by and see you and El this weekend' Neal answered.

'Then what is it?' Peter asked.

Neal put his fork down and looked intently into Peter's eyes.

'I got another letter' he said simply.

Peter stared back at his ex-partner, seeing the anguish in his eyes.

'What did it say?' he asked.

Neal shrugged. 'I don't know. I ripped it up and threw it out'

Peter let out a long sigh.

'Are you sure that's what you want to do?' he asked as he watched Neal's face darken in anger.

'She doesn't get to do this, Peter. She doesn't get to come back in my life after almost forty years and expect me to welcome her with open arms' he said with emotion.

'But she's reaching out to you, don't you want some closure?' Peter asked.

Neal shook his head adamantly.

'I've _got_ closure. She's been dead to me for a long time. I really don't need to open those old wounds again. I've got my life, Sara, the kids, the gallery, the school. I've got everything I need... everything I want' he said sadly.

'Maybe this is more about what _she_ needs' Peter said, wisely.

Neal's face hardened, anger and hurt still apparent after all those years.

'And why should I care what _she_ needs. She wasn't there for me when _I_ needed her' Neal answered sounding like a petulant child.

'You still haven't told Sara?' Peter asked.

Neal shook his head again in response. 'There's no point. I just want to forget all about it'

Peter listened. Somehow, Neal seemed to be protesting an awful lot for a guy who professed not to care.

WCWCWC

Sara came down, showered and dressed, ready to tackle the day ahead. The house was quiet – Neal had already left and the kids were both still sleeping; they must have been up really late chatting and catching up. She made her way to the kitchen counter and began leafing through Neal's recipe book, the one where he kept all his favorite, go-to recipes. The recipe for Osso Buco was tucked in the little pocket at the back, an old newspaper clipping from years ago.

She'd just grabbed for a pen and piece of paper to make a list of the needed ingredients when her gaze fell on the recycle box nearby. Something had been nagging at her since earlier that morning; Neal's reaction to that last piece of mail had seemed over the top and before she knew what she was doing, Sara was rummaging through the bin, trying to locate the envelope she'd watched him rip in two. She found it almost immediately, torn in half, right between an ad for Haircutters and that new pizza place a few blocks over.

With the benefit of her reading glasses, she could now clearly make out the return address and she frowned as she read. It was addressed by hand to Neal Caffrey and the return address was the Amica Retirement Home in St. Louis, Missouri. She stared at the torn envelope for a moment. She didn't know anyone from St. Louis except for Esther McKie who worked for Johnson's Insurance; she'd met her at a few conferences she'd attended over the years.

The only other connection to St. Louis she could think of was that Neal had originally been shipped there when he'd entered the Witness Protection Program at the age of three. Maybe this was connected to his past somehow. She hesitated for a brief second before curiosity got the best of her; she gave in, taking the ripped letter out of the envelope, careful to place the two halves side by side. It was a typewritten letter, except for the signature at the bottom which was penned with an obviously very shaky hand.

She froze as she read the single handwritten word at the bottom of the page: _Mom_.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

'Morning!' Sara heard from behind her as she stared down at the letter lying on the kitchen table.

She quickly folded it back up and stashed it in her pant pocket as Hope came closer, lacing her arms around her mom's neck from behind to give her a warm hug.

'Well, good morning' Sara said cheerfully. 'So, how did you sleep in your old bed?'

'Wonderfully' Hope said lazily as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured herself some orange juice.

She sat down next to her mom, smiling as she let her eyes roam around the room.

'There's something comforting about coming home and seeing that nothing has changed' she said with a smile. 'It's like... cheating fate, you know, like having both your old life _and_ your new one'

That was an interesting take on things, Sara thought as she took her daughter's hand.

'So, you're enjoying school?' she asked.

Hope nodded and her smile broadened.

'It's great! I'm meeting lots of new people and I love living in residence...you really get immersed in campus life, you know' Hope answered.

Sara nodded – she'd had the opportunity of going away to university at Hope's age and she had fond memories of being away from home for the first time; she remembered the excitement she'd felt and how much she'd loved having the freedom to make her own decisions and choices, even the not so good ones.

'So, how did it feel seeing Cam again last night?' Sara couldn't help but ask.

'Good' Hope answered almost by rote. 'Strange, though. Like I'm not the same person anymore but... he is'

'He's changing too, honey' Sara said. 'Don't sell him short – you just haven't seen the changes yet, that's all'

'What do you mean?' Hope asked.

'Well, you don't have to go away to grow and change. Cam's taken on a bunch of new responsibilities at the gallery and he's started taking some graduate courses at the university' Sara added.

Hope let out a sigh.

'I don't know, Mom' she admitted. 'I don't know if he's the one for me'

'You don't have to decide that today, honey' Sara reassured her daughter.' Give yourself time to get reacquainted and see how you feel in a couple of months'

Sara watched as Hope's eyes seemed to glaze over, lost in thought.

'You know, sometimes life just hands you what you need without you even having to ask' Sara added, thinking back to her early years with Neal. 'Your dad and I weren't even looking for a committed relationship in the beginning; we were just taking things one day at a time... and then you came along and we both realized what we'd been too afraid to want in the first place'

'Mom!' Hope said with mock indignation. 'You're not suggesting I accidentally get knocked up by Cam, are you?'

Sara laughed loudly.

'I'm _definitely_ not suggesting that!' she said. 'I'm just saying that life has a way of taking you down some unchartered roads when you least expect it'

'Got it' said Hope, suddenly realizing she was starved. 'So, do you want to take me out for something to eat?'

Sara laughed at her daughter's boldness.

'Well, I see some things _never_ change!'

WCWCWC

Liam sat on the couch, idly glancing at the television as he texted back and forth on his smart phone.

' _Busy this weekend?'_

' _Hanging out with my sister and her boyfriend this aft but I'm free later'_

' _Want to go to a movie?'_

' _Sure'_

' _Meet you at 7'_

'Who's that you're talking to?' Neal asked as he prepared the meal he'd be serving the Burkes in a few hours.

'Just a friend from school' Liam said dismissively.

'Oh yeah? A new friend?' Neal asked, fishing for information.

'Yeah, his name is Cody. He's in my biology class' Liam answered, standing to make his way over to the kitchen.

'I've never heard you mention _him_ before' Neal said nonchalantly. 'You know you could invite him over if you want. For dinner or just to hang out'

'Yeah, I'll see' Liam answered as he picked up a slice of carrot Neal had just chopped up and threw it in his mouth.

'So your birthday's coming up in two weeks, you'll have to tell us what you want to do' Neal said as he kept working.

'Maybe dinner out' Liam said as he leaned on the counter to continue their chat.

'Sure, whatever you want, buddy, and you can invite someone along if you like, anybody you'd like' Neal added, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard.

'Alright' Liam answered, suddenly uncomfortable. 'I better get going. I'm meeting Cam and Hope in an hour; we're going bowling'

'Bowling!' Neal repeated. 'Well, watch out for those gutter balls'

'Will do, Dad' Liam said with a giggle.

WCWCWC

'Neal, that was an amazing meal, as always' Elizabeth said as she pushed her chair away from the table.

Neal shrugged, letting the compliment wash over him. He and Elizabeth were both accomplished cooks and they loved to try to outdo each other. They each had their specialties though and just like El would never attempt an Osso Buco, Neal would never dare to serve her a shrimp risotto, definitely El's forte.

'So, how does it feel to have Hope home?' Peter asked as the foursome sat back, sipping their wine.

'Great! Although we haven't seen much of her today' Neal answered.

'I get the definite impression she'll be in and out of the house all summer, between working at the gallery and the school... and spending time with Cam' Sara said.

'They stopped by the house this afternoon' El said. 'She looks great; really energized'

Sara nodded in agreement. 'You know, seeing her like that...it reminds me of my first year away at university, that feeling of freedom, that I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted - '

She noticed Neal looking somewhat uncomfortable beside her and she stopped, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it gently. Whenever the subject of higher education came up, it always seemed to make him slightly uneasy – although he worked hard not to let it show. Sara knew it was a sore spot for him; he hadn't had the advantage of a formal education - although in his adult years, he certainly could have chosen to pursue one if he'd wanted to. Although Neal could never be described as having a chip on his shoulder, certain things from his past still stung and he'd tried to overcome that loss by giving his own children all the advantages he'd never had growing up. Now that his own kids were well on their way, he was doing more of the same with the kids from the art school – giving them a chance at a better life despite their less than stellar beginnings. He could relate to what they were going through and whenever Sara or the Burkes talked about their more privileged upbringing, it still brought out a twinge of envy and sadness for Neal even after all those years.

'You know we're just really glad we can give her this' he said, expertly deflecting from his uneasiness.

'Well, you two have done an amazing job with her... with both of them. You should be very proud' Elizabeth said as Neal and Sara looked at each other fondly.

'So, who's up for some dessert?' Neal asked, changing the subject and rising from the table.

'I'm stuffed but... did you by any chance...?' Peter began as Neal gave him an eager smile.

'... make pineapple upside down cake?' Neal finished.

Peter's eyes lit up at the mention of one of his favorite desserts.

'Why don't you ladies go sit in the living room and give us a few minutes' Neal said. 'I want to show Peter something in the studio and we'll bring out dessert as soon as we're done'

The women took their wine glasses and made their way to the front of the house, settling in on the couch, revelling in the wonderful meal they'd just enjoyed.

Sara had been dying to get a few moments alone with her best friend since the Burkes first arrived; she wanted to show El what she'd discovered that morning and get her take on it. The moment the men were out of range, Sara pulled out the letter she'd been keeping from her husband all day.

'Look what came in the mail' she whispered as she passed it over to El.

Elizabeth frowned as she noticed the tape that was holding the letter together and Sara just pointed to the piece of paper, urging her to read.

'This is addressed to Neal...' Elizabeth said as she looked down.

Sara nodded guiltily and urged El to open it and read.

'Just read it' she said, her voice urgent.

El became silent as her eyes moved over the tattered page.

 _Dear Neal,_

 _I can only assume that since I haven't heard back from you since the last time I wrote, you have no interest in getting in touch with me. I am torn between respecting your wishes and fighting to give us one last chance to connect before it's too late. As I said in my previous letter, I don't have much time left. I realize it is very selfish of me to ask but I don't want to leave this earth without reaching out one last time and trying to make peace with you, to try to explain things to you in the best way I know how._

 _I've struggled my whole life with trying to be a good mom and sadly, I have fallen well short of the mark. Unfortunately, you were the collateral damage in my struggle to become a better person. I don't want to make excuses for my behavior because there are none and I know I've caused you a great deal of pain over the years. I would just like to have a chance to sit with you and talk, try to understand what you went through and have you hear about my painful journey. I hope you will reconsider. Please know that these are not just empty words: I think about you every single day and I pray that you are safe and happy whatever you're doing. I love you, son._

 _Mom_

'This is from Neal's mom!' Elizabeth said a little too loudly.

'Shhh. Quiet!' Sara admonished her.

'Has he seen this?' El asked, her voice hushed.

'No, he ripped it up and threw it away without opening it' Sara whispered.

'And you went through the garbage and picked it out?' El asked, her voice indignant.

'Well, sort of...' Sara answered sheepishly.

Elizabeth gave her a dirty look; as if she had never done anything sneaky in her life, Sara thought.

'It sounds like she's written to him before' Elizabeth said.

'I know, that's why I'm worried. He's never said anything to me about it' Sara admitted.

'Well, if he threw it out, he obviously doesn't want to have anything to do with her' El said.

'I know but... El, this is his mom and it sounds like she might be dying' Sara whispered.

'Still, you should talk to him about it' El said.

Sara looked at her friend, her face scrunched up as she considered El's advice.

'He'll be upset that I'm sticking my nose in; you know how Neal is about stuff like that'

'Yeah, but this is big, Sara, you need to tell him that you know' El insisted.

'Hey, ladies' Peter interrupted as he came into the room carrying two cups of coffee.

El looked up guiltily and immediately hid the letter behind her, stuffing it behind the cushion on the couch as Sara looked on, alarmed. Peter gave his wife a questioning look, her not so covert movement obviously not lost on him.

Neal followed with a couple of plates of dessert and handed one to each of the women.

'Hope this lives up to expectations' he said as he turned to go back into the kitchen for two more helpings.

Peter raised his eyebrows expectantly at the women; it was obvious that whatever they were doing when he'd walked in wasn't meant to be shared with him or Neal.

'This looks amazing!' El said loudly, shutting her husband out.

Peter settled in beside her, his eyes not leaving hers; one thing was for sure, he'd get to the bottom of things before the night was out.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Burkes had been in the car all of thirty seconds when Peter turned towards Elizabeth, anxious to get the goods on what had transpired earlier when he'd walked in on her and Sara.

'What was _that_ back there?' he asked.

'Nothing' she lied expertly; after all she'd been preparing for the question for the past two hours.

'That wasn't _nothing_ ' Peter insisted.

'It's just something between Sara and me, that's all' El continued, hell bent on keeping her friend's secret, at least for the moment.

'Well, it didn't look all that innocent to me' Peter said, obviously unconvinced.

'She just... she wanted my advice on something' El answered. Technically, that was _exactly_ what had happened.

'Well, don't go getting involved in Neal and Sara's marriage' Peter warned.

He'd been caught up in Neal's shenanigans time and time again over the past twenty five years and, more often than not, it ended badly whenever he let himself get involved. Elizabeth stared ahead, thinking of what Sara had confided in her; she didn't want to be standing on the sidelines when her best friend made a terrible mistake.

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara were still tidying up when they heard the front door open and Liam's familiar footsteps start up the stairs.

'Honey?' Sara called out, needing a check-in before the teenager disappeared up to his room for the night.

'Yeah?' he called back as he peeked over the banister towards the back of the house.

'Come here a minute' Sara insisted, her eyes moving to meet Neal's.

'What?' Liam asked, dragging his feet all the way to the kitchen to his waiting parents.

'How was the movie?' Sara asked.

'Good' he said evasively, an answer typical of every teenager on the planet who didn't want to give details after a night out with friends.

Sara kept loading the dishwasher, acting nonchalant, although she wanted details after what Neal had shared with her concerning his earlier talk with Liam.

'Who did you go with?' she asked, pushing it.

If she'd bothered to look over at Neal, she would have noticed him giving her the evil eye at the inquisition she was not so subtly conducting.

'Just some guy from school' he answered, increasingly uncomfortable.

'Did Will go with you?' she continued, unflustered.

'No, it was just the two of us' Liam said as he started to make his way back to the front of the house.

He'd had enough of the line of questioning; he wasn't quite ready to share the fact that he'd just had a great first date with Cody complete with a lovely, chaste kiss when they'd finally parted ways. He was still on cloud nine but reluctant to talk about it, just yet.

'Well, goodnight' he said, bringing the one sided conversation to an unambiguous end.

Neal shook his head at his wife as he called out after him. 'Goodnight buddy'.

'You know you're never going to get him to open up by questioning him like that' he whispered as he gave her a disapproving look.

Sara huffed in response.

'If this keeps up' she mumbled mostly to herself 'We might not even get invited to his wedding'.

Neal laughed out loud and made a playful grab for her as she struggled to get away.

'Stop it' she said unconvincingly.

'Sara, honey... I know your intentions are good but you're just going to push him away if you keep this up' Neal said with a soft smile as he attempted to lace his arms around her waist.

Sara stopped fighting him and stood with Neal's arms around her, thawing a little as she realized her husband was probably right – not that his hands off approach was proving any more successful than her more direct tactics.

'I'm sure he'll be opening up to us anytime now' Neal said as he looked into his wife's worried eyes. 'Let's have faith in him, okay? Just a little while longer'.

She nodded grudgingly, agreeing that it might be time to back off a little; after all, Liam wasn't doing anything illegal or immoral and he needed to feel safe before sharing what he was going through.

Neal and Sara had begun to suspect their son was gay over the past year as they'd observed Liam's reactions to people and situations around him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to notice that Liam got downright giddy around certain cute boys and he hadn't been sharing some of his friends' interest in the young girls in his class and how they dressed or behaved.

'Stop worrying' Neal said, kissing her forehead. 'This doesn't mean he doesn't trust us – or love us. He's figuring things out for himself and he should be allowed to express himself whenever he feels ready to'.

Sara nodded, reluctantly agreeing to what Neal was saying.

'He _is_ okay, though, isn't he?' she asked, thinking of her little boy and how much he meant to her.

'He's fine' Neal answered reassuringly.

WCWCWC

Sunday dinner was a pleasant affair – Mozzie was along for the ride and having Hope back at the dinner table alongside Cameron made both her parents very, very happy. When dinner was over, Hope and Cam insisted on doing the cleaning up and they shooed Neal and Sara out to the backyard deck to enjoy their after dinner coffee while Mozzie and Liam took Raffie out for his evening walk.

It was a cool spring evening and Raffie sauntered alongside Liam as Mozzie tried to keep up the pace.

'So, you ready for the big game on Tuesday?' Mozzie asked as he and Liam zigzagged the neighborhood streets.

'Yeah, one last practice tomorrow' Liam answered. 'But we're ready'.

They grew quiet and Mozzie could tell there was something else on his godson's mind and he waited patiently for the teenager to speak up.

'I had a date with Cody last night' Liam finally said.

'You're kidding! That's great!' Mozzie answered.

Liam smiled, looking somewhat bashful as he continued.

'Yeah, we went to a movie and we sat in the back and... held hands.'

'So you really like this guy, huh?' Mozzie asked.

He'd been hearing about the infamous Cody for a few weeks now as Liam grew closer to the young man. Liam looked shyly at his godfather, his cheeks red and he nodded in response.

'Mom and Dad said I could invite a friend to dinner for my birthday and I was thinking I might invite Cody' he said, seeking out the older man's advice.

'Have you talked to your parents about him?' Mozzie asked.

'No... I mean, I told Dad I was going to a movie with him but I... I didn't tell him it was a _date_ ' Liam said.

'Don't you think your parents are smart enough to have figured it out by now?' Mozzie asked.

'You think they know?' Liam asked.

'I think they've suspected for a long time. They won't be shocked or even surprised when you finally decide to tell them' Mozzie explained.

'But...' Liam began, letting his voice trail.

'What is it you're afraid of, Liam?' Mozzie asked wisely.

Neal and Sara had always been open with their kids about sexuality and they were both staunch defenders of gay rights. Yet, Mozzie had picked up on Liam's reticence for a few months now and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

'Well, for a long time, I wasn't sure myself' admitted the young man '...and I just needed to figure out how I felt about everything before I told them.'

Mozzie nodded in response.

'It's annoying; people are always saying stuff like 'Have you got a girlfriend, Liam?' or 'There's a cute girl for you'. They never stop to think that the person they're talking to might be gay.'

'Yeah, but that's just a societal thing; unfortunately, people assume that most people are straight – which they are. They don't automatically think that someone might be gay; they go with the odds, that's all.' Mozzie said. 'But Liam, you have to learn to stand up for who you are and your sexuality is a part of that. It doesn't define you but it's part of who you are deep down and if you want others to respect you for who you are, you need to start by being true to yourself.'

Liam stopped walking as Raffie pulled on his leash, heading towards a nearby tree, lifting his leg up in the air in order to do his business. His uncle Moz always knew the right thing to say.

Mozzie put a hand on Liam's shoulder and watched as the young man turned to look at him.

'I think I'm ready to tell them, Uncle Moz' Liam said softly.

WCWCWC

'It's great to have her home, huh?' Sara said as she glanced through the patio door at Cam and Hope who were madly giggling as they tidied up the kitchen.

Neal nodded, a big grin on his face. Hope was his little girl and he wanted nothing but the best for her; he'd finally figured out over the past four months that part of what was best for her was for him to learn to let her go.

'She's coming to school with me tomorrow; I want to introduce her to some of the new staff and see what she wants to do for the summer' he said, proudly.

'I'm sure she'll have a few ideas of her own' Sara agreed.

'No doubt' Neal said, laughing. 'I might have to build a whole new wing to accommodate all her projects.'

'So, I reserved the cottage for the second week of August' he added. 'Did you remember to book time off at work?'

'I did' Sara said. 'It's going to be great to head up to the Muskokas again. The kids seem excited.'

Neal looked out over the backyard, beyond the pool and over the fence at the setting sun. They were going to have a wonderful summer now that Hope was home and he looked forward to every single minute of it.

'I've got to get the pool open soon, the kids are going to want to start inviting their friends over for a swim' he said.

'We're so lucky to be able to give our kids all this' Sara said, thinking again about Neal's rough beginning in life. 'Did you ever think, growing up, you'd be sitting in your very own backyard planning a wonderful summer for your family?'

Neal looked lost in thought momentarily and Sara reached out to take his hand, bringing him out of his reverie. She wanted to test the waters, so to speak, and see if he was ready to share anything with her.

'Do you ever wonder about her?' she asked '... your mom?'

Neal looked taken aback by the question; the subject of his childhood didn't come up very often anymore and frankly, he preferred it that way. He found Sara's question strangely timely though, considering the fact that his mom had written to him just a month earlier, hinting at some sort of reconciliation. He hadn't wanted to talk about it – except to Peter; after almost forty years, he was still angry at her for the way she'd left him to fend for himself. He saw so many kids just like him at the art school every day and he could feel his anger simmering as he witnessed that their parents had no interest in their offspring or their wellbeing; he was living proof of how hard life could be when a parent didn't step up to the plate and own up to his or her responsibilities.

'You and the kids are my life' Neal deflected, not giving away any of the anguish he was feeling deep in his gut. ' _That's_ what I want to concentrate on, not my past.'

'But if we don't deal with our past, sometimes it can hold us back from being truly free' Sara said wisely.

Neal shook his head; he wasn't buying it. The anger and the pain were still too raw and whenever he thought of his mom, he reverted to being a lost, scared, helpless little boy and not the strong, competent man he'd worked so hard to become. Finally, it all became a little too real and no amount of deflection could adequately hide his feelings.

'I don't want to talk about her' he said abruptly as he stood. 'Want a refill on that coffee?'

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Caitlin Somersby was a beautiful and talented young girl. At five foot two, she was a tiny and seemingly unassuming little thing with bright blue eyes peeking out from under scraggly blond bangs and yet, she was unpredictably volatile. She had the uncanny knack of charming herself out of a paper bag – when she wasn't busy being the devil incarnate, that is. The young woman could turn on a dime, charming her way out of sticky situations just as easily as she could turn on someone and scratch their eyes out. Upon meeting her, Neal Caffrey had immediately recognized her for what she was: a passionate, impulsive young lady who was headed for trouble and he'd made it his personal mission to keep her from digging a hole so deep that she would never be able to climb back out.

In her short life, Caitlin had already decided that people fell into two broad groups: those who could be conned and those she needed to protect herself against. Mistakenly, she had pegged Neal Caffrey as the former, unaware that he had a fully functioning radar for cons and sweet talkers and when he'd first met Caitlin, he'd sized her up for exactly what she was, a sad and lonely young girl who'd lost her way in life.

Caitlin's 10th grade teacher had been one of her easier marks; she'd witnessed the young girl's talent first hand and she'd fallen under her spell, referring her to the arts program she'd heard about at the new school in the Bronx. Despite Caitlin's often inappropriate behavior, Jo Thompson had regularly come to the teen's defense, trying to keep the young girl from falling irreversibly into a life of delinquency and the young teacher had been instrumental in keeping Caitlin from getting kicked out of school on two separate occasions over the past year.

Caitlin was a regular in the art school's Monday and Thursday after school classes. Along with about a dozen other kids her age, she would show up after school – when she wasn't skipping class, that is – to sculpt or paint until it was time to return to her foster home for dinner. On Monday nights, Neal taught the class himself, making sure his charges had a variety of materials to work with; sometimes, he'd suggest specific projects to get his students' focussed but most times, he'd just wander around the room, floating seamlessly from one kid to the other, giving advice whenever appropriate and providing support and encouragement as his students worked on their individual projects. He'd picked up on Caitlin's uncanny talent from day one; she had an amazing eye, great observation skills and a firm, steady hand, all factors in the makings of a great sculptor.

'Try a more delicate touch over here' Neal suggested on one of his walk throughs.

'Here?' Caitlin asked, her eyes focussed on the sculpture she was working on.

She was sculpting from the photograph of a young man and Neal could tell by the intensity with which she was working that this was someone Caitlin cared about.

'Yeah, see the eyes, you want to capture the softness there so let your hand glide more gently over the clay' he explained.

By the time he returned, twenty minutes later, Caitlin had taken his advice to heart and the piece was really coming alive. Class ended and Neal instructed everyone to put their projects away until the next session, watching as the young girl carefully placed her work on the nearby shelf where students stored their unfinished pieces. He noticed her taking her time; Caitlin was never in a hurry to go home. She'd mentioned on a few occasions that she _hated_ her foster parents, how they didn't understand her, and Neal had noticed that she always lingered after class, in no hurry to get back to what she described as her 'boring' life.

'Caitlin' Neal said as he approached her 'My wife and I were wondering if maybe you'd like to come over to our place for dinner.'

She stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. This unexpected invitation couldn't come at a better time; her foster parents had really been on her case lately and anything she could do to stay away from 'home' was a welcome relief. It didn't hurt that Mr. Caffrey was a hunk - although she was the first to admit he was ancient. Still, those eyes and that smile made her melt whenever he turned his attention to her. Spending some quality time with him in his home was just what the doctor ordered.

'Do you think that would be okay with your foster parents?' Neal asked.

'They don't give a shit whether I'm there or not' she answered provocatively.

'Well, my daughter is home from university and I thought you might like to meet her' Neal continued, paying no heed to her offensive language. 'As a matter of fact, she's going to be taking over the Thursday afternoon class starting this week so I thought you might like to meet her.'

'Sure' Caitlin answered, trying to sound casual, although Neal could spot the excitement in her eyes.

'Well, how about tomorrow? You could come over here after school and we can drive back to White Plains together' Neal said.

'Okay!' she answered, not bothering to hide her enthusiasm; anything was better than going home – a term she used loosely.

'Give me your foster parents' number and I'll give them a call tonight and clear it with them' Neal said, holding his phone at the ready.

The teenager obliged and gave him a winning smile on her way out the door.

He noticed her walking away with a little more of spring in her step; if this was what it took to keep her from falling over the precipice into a life of crime, he was more than happy to oblige.

WCWCWC

'Thanks for meeting me' Sara said as Elizabeth took a seat across from her in the busy bistro.

'It's okay. You sounded upset' El answered, taking in the worried look on her best friend's face and noticing she was wringing her hands compulsively.

'Sara, you're scaring me. What's wrong?' she asked.

'I haven't been able to think about anything else since we read that damn letter' Sara admitted.

'Did you talk to Neal about it?' El asked.

'I tried – he doesn't want to talk about it... about her, but – ' Sara began.

'Honey, I don't think there are any buts; you have to respect what Neal wants in this' El answered, taking her friend's hand in hers.

'I know, I know, I just... I can't help thinking he's making a mistake. He's been carrying around that pain and anger since he left home at the age of eighteen. Maybe if he just sat down and talked to her, he could finally let it go' Sara said, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

'Sara, that's not your decision to make' Elizabeth said, leaning in.

She watched as Sara's face darkened, sadness invading her usually bright green eyes.

'I love him' she stated simply. 'I just want what's best for him.'

'I know that' El said, her voice calm and understanding 'but maybe what's best for him is for you to let this go and just respect his wishes.'

'I don't think it is' Sara said sadly as Elizabeth watched the anguish on her best friend's face.

'You remember when Neal and Peter went looking for Emily?' Sara said. 'I was _so_ mad at him for going behind my back and now... well, I'm just so glad he did it.'

Elizabeth stared back at Sara; she had a point although the situations were slightly different. Neal had known that if he managed to find Emily, Sara would be thrilled at reuniting with her sister. In this case, Neal had already made it clear he didn't want to have anything to do with his mother.

'Well, what do you want to do? You can't force him see her?' El asked.

'No, but...' Sara began, hesitating before going on '...I could go to St. Louis and...'

'Are you kidding? You want to go meet with her yourself – behind Neal's back?' Elizabeth said, shocked.

Sara shrugged and frowned in response.

'Would that be so bad?' she asked, knowing full well the answer to her question.

'Neal might never forgive you when he finds out. Are you ready to take that chance?' El asked.

'He might thank me...eventually. At least, if I meet with her first, I could find out what her motives are, if she really wants what's best for him or if she's just looking to be forgiven before she kicks the bucket. I owe him this, El. Neal's always had my back and I feel, that in this case, I have to stick my neck out and take a chance.'

'So? What? You lie to Neal and go meet with her? No matter how this turns out, he'll be livid at you for ignoring his wishes' El warned.

'If it all works out, he'll forgive me. I know he will' Sara answered, her voice shaky.

'And if it doesn't work out, what then?' El asked.

'He'll never know that I reached out to her' Sara explained 'I'll just keep it to myself but at least I will have tried to get him out from under this dark cloud he's lived under all his life.'

Elizabeth took one long, slow breath as she studied Sara; she obviously wanted her advice on this and El didn't want to be responsible for any eventual fallout. Sara had made some good points though and El knew that if Sara was considering doing this, it was out of love for her husband.

'So, what do you want from me, sweetie? Absolution?' she asked.

Sara stared back, her face serious, her eyes unwavering.

'I want you to come with me' Sara answered, sounding like a scared child.

She watched as Elizabeth's jaw dropped.

WCWCWC

Neal drove home, pleased with himself; he was finally making some headway with Caitlin. Although their home life wasn't picture perfect by any means, he wanted her to see that when people cared for each other and wanted what was best for those they loved, life could be fulfilling and rewarding.

He thought back to the last few months before he'd left home. He'd been getting deeper and deeper into trouble and he'd finally gotten himself arrested for breaking into a neighbor's house for what, he couldn't even remember. The only thing that had kept him out of jail was his age; just shy of eighteen, he'd managed to avoid traditional jail time although he'd more than made up for it in the years that followed.

His mom had become totally disinterested in Neal's fate; she'd been unable or unwilling to cope with an impulsive, creative teenager like Neal who continued to chase after new adventures in order to burn off his limitless energy. She hadn't been able to see what he, as an adult, now understood - that creativity needed to be encouraged and lovingly nurtured, not quashed. He'd left St. Louis shortly after, on a search for more excitement and new opportunities. New York had been a logical stop on his way to an exciting new life and he'd never looked back.

He'd thought about her often over the years; he remembered the early years when she'd tried so hard to keep it together and be a good mom. In those days, before she'd fallen desperately into drugs and alcohol,she would sit with him while he did his homework, trying to connect with him as they held on to each other for dear life. She'd been devastated by her husband's betrayal and she'd become angry and bitter, unable to cope with the curve ball life had sent her way and Neal had been a constant reminder of his dad, those deep blue eyes staring back at her, reminding her of the pain and hurt she'd suffered.

But Neal had been an exasperating child, he was the first to admit it, and she'd finally given up on him in the end, letting him wander further and further away from her loving arms. The rejection had hurt for a while but Neal had found a way to repress that pain and anguish. With his good looks and charismatic charm, it had been easy to con those he met along the way and Neal soon realized he could succeed in life by bending the rules, and eventually, by breaking them outright. The transition to a life of crime had been gradual and truth be told, he couldn't even remember when he'd crossed that line for good.

Now, Caitlin was standing at the fork in the road and Neal had made up his mind that he would stop at nothing to make sure she didn't go down that sad, lonely road.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sara Ellis stared at her computer screen, finger poised on the 'enter' button. This was it – once she booked that airline ticket, she was committing to going to St. Louis to meet with Linda Bennett, long time resident of the Amica Retirement Home. The woman had contributed half of Neal's gene pool and she'd given birth to him; no matter what he thought of her, she couldn't _possibly_ be all bad.

Sara wondered if doing the wrong thing for the right reason was an acceptable defense; after all, Neal had gotten away with so much over the years based on that very principle. He, himself, had gone against her wishes when he'd started to look for Emily just a few years before. Although Sara had steadfastly refused his offer for years, she couldn't deny that she'd been thrilled when Neal and Peter's search had led them to her big sister after so many years apart. Would this play out the same? Would Neal come around in the end and thank her for meddling in his affairs?

Sara was thankful for the support of Elizabeth Burke, who despite her better judgement, had agreed to accompany her on her search for the truth. Once she sat with the older woman and got to the root of her intentions, Sara would know if it was in Neal's best interests to see his mom again. She'd watched her husband suffer his whole life, struggling to overcome his painful early beginnings and to make a meaningful life for himself - something he'd succeeded in doing by anyone's standards. This woman was not a threat to this – on the contrary, she held the key to setting her husband free from the demons of his past.

Her finger fluttered over the keyboard for a moment longer and she took a deep breath.

 _Enter._

WCWCWC

'Thanks' Caitlin said as Neal placed a second helping of shepherd's pie on her plate.

He'd wanted to keep the menu simple and he'd asked her what some of her favorites were; this was not the time to go all 'Julia Child' on her and prepare some fancy meal she wouldn't recognize – or appreciate. More than anything, Neal wanted Caitlin to feel comfortable and welcome in their home.

'Neal tells me you're quite the sculptor' Sara said as she took a bite off her plate.

'I like it' Caitlin answered as she checked Sara out.

Mr. Caffrey's wife was beautiful and elegant – exactly the kind of woman Caitlin expected him to be married to. And his kids were good looking too, just what she'd imagined his perfect little white bread life would be like. It was irksome and somewhere deep inside, she could feel herself being annoyed and envious in equal measures.

'After dinner, I can show you our little studio downstairs' Hope said as she smiled at the teenager. 'Dad and I like to paint down there.'

'Sure' she answered with a shrug. ' _Dad and I like to paint down there'_ she repeated in her head in a mean spirited, spiteful voice. Who has a studio in their house, thought Caitlin. Some people have all the luck: a studio to work in and a dad like Neal Caffrey.

She looked up, noticing Neal winking at his wife and she returned her eyes to her plate, slightly uncomfortable at the brief show of affection between the couple. She had no idea what a healthy, loving relationship between a man and a woman looked like; she'd spent the first five years of her life alone with her mom, living in sub-par accommodations while a procession of ne'er do wells came in and out of her mom's bedroom, feeding her booze and drugs and gradually turning her away from her daughter. By the time she'd started school, she was a ward of the state and she'd begun making the rounds of foster homes where twice now, she'd been rejected by prospective foster parents who'd had enough of her insolence and rudeness. Her current foster parents were no better, they couldn't care less what she did as long as they got that monthly cheque in the mail.

She peeked out from under her bangs and took in the faces around the table. The boy was quiet – he hadn't said much but Hope reminded her a lot of Mr. Caffrey in the easy way she had of interacting with her, trying to connect about things that mattered to her. Mr. Caffrey, himself, was gorgeous. Whenever he talked to her, she would stare into his intense blue eyes and wonder what he might have looked like when he was younger. One thing was for sure, she hadn't managed to con him; he always seemed to see right through her and that made the young girl extremely nervous and uncomfortable.

'So, where do you go to school?' Caitlin asked in an effort to be sociable.

'I go to university in Pittsburgh' Hope answered with a smile. 'I'm studying visual arts.'

Caitlin nodded knowingly although she had no idea what 'visual arts' entailed.

'Like painting and stuff?' she asked.

'Yeah, we study art history, the great painters and some tutorials where we get to paint and work on projects' Hope answered.

'Do you sculpt too?' the teen asked, her curiosity piqued.

'I don't but some of my classmates do' Hope explained 'I can't wait to see your stuff.'

Caitlin smiled shyly; she didn't think what she did was all that good but everyone around her seemed to think so. She just enjoyed the feel of clay or stone under her hands as she molded and chiseled her way to her creations.

'So' Neal said, changing the subject. 'Have you decided if you want to come with us to Liam's basketball game?'

Caitlin shrugged, uncertain how much of this dull and dreary domesticity she could stomach in one night – or was it that it was just a painful reminder or what she could never have.

'I should go back and do some homework' she finally said.

'Sure. Whatever you want. I can drive you back before the game' Neal said with a kind smile.

'Can I be excused?' Liam asked as he stood, ostensibly to use the facilities.

It was the first two words he'd spoken since the meal began and Caitlin watched as he rose to leave the table. He was cute, very different looking from his dad and he seemed quietly intense in a way his father wasn't. She watched as he left the table; he was tall and lanky – almost as tall as his dad although his coloring was his mom's, blondish soft curls and bright green eyes. After a moment, Caitlin asked to use the washroom as well and Sara directed her upstairs.

'Second door on the left' she said as the young girl stood from the table.

She made her way up the stairs, noticing the family pictures on the way up – smiling faces of Hope and Liam at various ages, a painting of Sara Ellis pregnant with one of their kids. She scoffed audibly and climbed all the way up, stopping to peek into the first bedroom she saw on the right, obviously the master bedroom. With a wayward glance behind her to make sure no one was watching, she stepped into the room, noticing the tasteful decor and without hesitation, she walked over to the small make-up table, spying a jewelry box. Without as much as a second thought, she opened it and glanced inside. There were several pairs of earrings, amongst them a gorgeous pair of pearls and some shiny, dangly gold hoops that caught her eye. Without hesitation, she grabbed the two pairs of earrings and stuffed them in her jeans pocket.

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara stood in their kitchen, clearing up the dinner dishes.

'She seems like a lost soul' Sara whispered as she rinsed the plates and passed them over to Neal who hovered over the dishwasher.

He glanced nervously towards the front of the house to make sure the young girl wasn't returning quite yet before speaking. 'I don't think she's ever had a 'regular' family dinner before.'

Sara gave him a raised eyebrow as she smiled; they had fallen into this life of domesticity quite by accident themselves and yet now, she couldn't imagine her life being anything else. Caitlin reappeared, smiling at them and Hope stood from the table, ready to make good on her offer to show the young teen their private studio in the basement.

'Come on, Caitlin. I'll show you where we work before you go' Hope said in a friendly voice. For some reason, she already liked the young girl; she could see what her dad saw in her, some restless, tortured soul who just needed a little bit of encouragement to come into her own.

The girls disappeared and Neal let out a sigh; he hoped that having the young girl into their home would have the desired effect although suddenly, he was filled with doubts.

'Take the kids to the game and I'll follow once I get her home safely' Neal said as he gave his wife a peck on the cheek.

That, as it turned out, was Neal's first mistake.

WCWCWC

The drive to the Bronx, where Caitlin lived, was long and tedious. Neal didn't want to miss the beginning of Liam's game although he knew that every moment he spent with the wayward teen was an opportunity to have a positive influence on her. She seemed content as they drove and Neal noticed her smiling as he glanced to his right.

'Thanks for coming over for dinner' he said.

'I had a good time' she responded. 'You didn't tell me you were such an amazing painter.'

Neal shrugged at the compliment. At the June Ellington School of Art, he was 'Mr. Caffrey', the school's executive director who taught some of the art classes; he didn't share his private life or his past with any of the students there and he hoped that giving Caitlin a glimpse into his personal life hadn't been a mistake on his part.

They arrived in Caitlin's neighborhood and she pointed to the very modest row house that she presently called home. Neal had seen worse – much worse – yet, he was reminded of how thankful he was to be able to provide a good home in a safe neighborhood for his own children. All kids deserved to feel safe and secure, out of harm's way.

'Well, thanks Mr. Caffrey' Caitlin said as she suddenly pulled in closer to him, an unexpected movement that Neal hadn't seen coming.

In a startling and sudden gesture, she leaned in to kiss his cheek, lingering a little too long for it to be purely innocent. Neal reacted immediately, pulling away and looking into the young girl's face; suddenly, she looked like a young woman, her eyes staring longingly into his and Neal felt uncharacteristically unnerved at her inappropriate gaze. He felt a brief pang of regret for not having asked Hope to come along for the ride; maybe being alone with a young female student wasn't the best strategy for a person in authority.

'Goodnight Caitlin' he said curtly, ending the short encounter decisively.

'Goodnight Mr. Caffrey' she answered with a devilish smile.

WCWCWC

Liam's team continued their undefeated streak and the Caffrey clan, including Uncle Mozzie, stood waiting for him in the school lobby after the game. The buzz in the open space was deafening as moms and dads waited for their offspring to make a triumphant appearance. Neal could see some of the players start to emerge from the change room and suddenly, Liam appeared, unaware that he was being observed by his dad. Neal elbowed Sara and gave her a head nod in that direction as another young boy approached their son – he'd obviously been waiting for him right at the door to the change room. The look between the two of them was unmistakeably tender although they did not touch in any way and Neal knew instantly that this was the famous Cody his son had been talking about. The two boys exchanged smiles and leaned in to talk quietly for a second before Liam pulled away and turned his attention to finding his family out in the lobby.

Neal and Sara exchanged smiles as they saw their son coming towards them.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Neal lay in bed, arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling as he replayed what had happened when he'd dropped Caitlin off. He hoped he'd nipped the situation in the bud because he sure as hell didn't want any misunderstandings where the young girl was concerned. Neal Caffrey had used his good looks to his advantage his whole life, turning on the charm whenever necessary in order to get what he wanted but it was always unnerving when he was on the receiving end of unwelcome advances, especially from young girls who were confused and lonely. Normally, he could see it coming a mile away but his radar had obviously been on the blink as he'd concentrated on being a strong, positive father figure for Caitlin Somersby.

Sara walked in and sat at the small make-up table in their room. She began brushing her hair and she reached out for the bottle of hand cream she kept nearby, taking a small amount in her hand and rubbing her elbows with it. She could see Neal's reflection in the mirror, lying there in his sleep pants, his chest naked; she loved him so much she sometimes thought she would burst from the intensity of her feelings for him. Thinking of what she was about to do filled her with trepidation; what she thought of as a way of showing him just how much she cared could easily backfire and be interpreted as an act of betrayal. She returned her gaze to her reflection in the mirror, reaching out for the moisturizer she applied to her face every night before bed.

Suddenly Neal's voice broke the silence in the room. 'Caitlin kissed me on the cheek before she got out of the car tonight...but it didn't feel right.'

Sara kept looking at his reflection in the mirror. 'What do you mean it didn't _feel_ right?'

Neal sighed. 'I'm just afraid she might have some silly school girl crush on me -'

'Mom, Dad' Liam interrupted as he appeared in the doorway to their bedroom 'Can I talk to you guys?'

Sara turned to face him as Neal sat up, inviting Liam to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

'I've been thinking about my birthday and I wondered if I could invite a friend to come to dinner with us' he began.

Neal glanced at Sara, willing her to stay quiet and not ask any questions; Liam seemed to be in a sharing mood and their job as parents was to listen.

'Sure' Neal said. 'Anything you want, buddy.'

'I have a... new friend I really, really like' Liam began slowly as he looked into their eyes. 'He's... sort of like a boyfriend.'

Neal nodded and smiled and Sara listened in silence. Liam watched their reactions with interest – no surprise or shock on their faces; Uncle Mozzie had been right all along.

'I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say anything' Liam continued. 'It's just taken me a while to figure things out.'

'That's okay, honey' Sara said as she moved to sit next to him on the bed, her hand lingering on his back.

'All we want is for you to be happy, Liam' Neal added as the teen's face lit up. 'It's all we've _ever_ wanted.'

'So, you really like this guy, huh?' Sara asked as the young man continued to grin from ear to ear.

'Yeah, he's really nice... and sweet' he said in response.

Sara couldn't hold back anymore and Neal watched as she put her arms out to hug their son. 'I'm so happy for you, honey' she said.

Liam let himself melt into his mom's loving arms and suddenly, Neal's arms were around them both, pulling them close. The three of them laughed nervously as they finally pulled away, tears apparent in Sara's eyes.

'Well, I guess I better get to bed' Liam said as he stood. 'Goodnight.'

'Goodnight buddy' Neal called out after him as his eyes met Sara's, both of them smiling broadly.

He opened his arms and she slipped into his embrace, feeling his lips on her hair. 'See, I told you, he was fine.'

WCWCWC

'So tell me again why you have to go to Chicago?' Peter asked as he moved around the room, getting dressed, El still lying in bed.

'It's just this out of town client I have to meet' she lied. 'He wants us to organize his daughter's wedding here in New York.'

'Well, why doesn't he come and meet with you here?' Peter asked, perplexed.

'Honey, I don't know why' El continued. 'It's a big contract and I said I'd meet him in Chicago.'

Peter shrugged; Elizabeth must know what she was doing. He returned to the bed, fully dressed and gave his wife a peck on the cheek. He was due at the gallery in thirty minutes and he was late as it was.

'Alright' he finally conceded. 'I'll see you tonight, hon.'

Elizabeth watched as her trusting husband hurried out of the room. She hated lying to him and she would come clean as soon as Sara talked to Neal but for now, she had agreed to keep her best friend's secret. Sara had been there for her countless times in the past and El wanted to stand by her while she met this mysterious woman from Neal's past and tried to figure out what was best for the man she loved.

WCWCWC

Wednesday was a total blur for Sara Ellis; there was a lot to do if she wanted to take the following day off work and she had scheduled meetings and appointments from early morning to late afternoon so she could get a head start on what needed doing by the end of the week.

She was scheduled to leave JFK at 7:15 the next morning and she had been greatly relieved when Elizabeth had agreed to accompany her on her quest for the truth. She knew she would need someone to bounce things off of and there was no one better than level-headed Elizabeth - who always had a balanced view of things. The four friends had been through so much over the past twenty odd years, beginning with hers and Neal's antagonistic relationship and the unconventional way their lives had all come together. The friendship between the four of them had developed gradually over time and now, as she looked back, she thanked her lucky stars for the likes of Peter and Elizabeth Burke.

She'd decided to approach the meeting with Linda Bennett in much the same way she tackled cases at work: she'd prepared a list of go-to questions that she wanted to ask the elderly woman. More than anything, she would have to rely on her instincts when she spoke to her, gauging her sincerity and her motives for wanting to reach out to Neal after all these years. She wasn't about to place Neal in a situation where he'd come out more hurt and upset than when he went in; if a reunion was even conceivable, the outcome would have to be healing and uplifting for both mother and son. She planned on telling her mother-in-law the truth – that she'd wanted to meet with her before deciding if she should try to convince Neal to spend time with her. There were no guarantees that she would be successful – he was his own person after all – but if she thought it would do him good, she intended to work hard on getting him to follow through on what would likely be a life-changing encounter with his long lost mother.

Her assistant walked in to remind her that her next meeting was starting in a few minutes and Sara Ellis put on her mask and headed out.

WCWCWC

'How much space are we supposed to free up?' Hope asked as she removed a canvas from the wall.

'As much as we can spare without making things looked cramped' Cameron answered as he followed suit with a second painting.

Hope shook her head; it was just like her dad to want to give his young students from the art school an opportunity to have their works displayed in such an upscale setting. The gallery and the art school couldn't have been more different as venues went: the gallery, which was located in the Chelsea Art District in Manhattan, catered to the usual suspects – knowledgeable art lovers who enjoyed being exposed to new, innovative artists. The school, situated in the Bronx, was much more modest and was all about process; its ultimate goal was to give kids the opportunity to explore art as a creative outlet for what were often painful life experiences.

And yet, despite their undeniable differences, Neal was equally at home in both settings. After all, they were inextricably linked in his mind: great art came from a place deep inside the artist's soul and sometimes, that place was raw and painful just as it could be joyous and triumphant. He'd learned that the hard way as he'd finally let himself tap into his deeper self instead of wasting his talent emulating what other great artists had already painted. It had taken Hope's arrival to give him something to truly tap into – that overwhelming love for a child that could not be ignored; at the time, he had been bursting to express those powerful feelings of love and devotion and he'd never looked back.

Peter sat at his desk in the corner, watching as Cam and Hope worked, enjoying the familiar banter between the two young lovers. He'd learned to get to know and appreciate Cameron more and more since he'd been promoted to manager of the Raphael. The young man obviously had very serious intentions where his goddaughter was concerned and Peter thought they were a great match – Hope's exuberance and Cam's introspection coming together not unlike the improbable pairing of Neal and Sara all those years ago. He smiled at the recollection – my, how the years had passed...

'Stop it' he heard Hope say with a giggle as Cam brushed past her, giving her a jostle with his bum.

' _You_ stop it' he responded, sounding more like a twelve year old than a grown man.

'Oh, yeah?' Hope responded with an all out attack on her boyfriend, tickling him as he began to fight her off.

They both dissolved in a fit of giggles as Peter watched, unable to keep himself from smiling.

WCWCWC

'Hey! You're late!' Neal called out from the kitchen as he heard the front door open and close.

'Sorry! I forgot to call' Sara answered, following his voice – and the wonderful aromas emanating from the back of the house.

She kicked off her shoes as her husband came into view, hovering over the kitchen stove, in a pair of loose fitting track pants and an undershirt, his feet bare; he must have been painting earlier. Sara moved in and gave him a chaste kiss as she took in the wonderful aroma of food mixed in with Neal's musky scent. She sat at the table, keeping her gorgeous husband in her sights and watched as he expertly worked on three different burners at once – something, she'd never mastered, nor would she ever try to. He continued working, unaware of her eyes fixed on his muscular body as he stirred something that smelled heavenly.

God, he was hot. After all those years, he was still the most gorgeous, sexiest man she'd ever met and she hoped she'd never have to find out what life would be like without him. She thought of everything they had, the life they'd worked so hard to build and she let out a sigh at the realization that she loved this guy even more than the day she'd married him. Doubts began to creep in once again as she thought of the following day and her illicit trip to St. Louis.

'Oh, and I have to work late again tomorrow night' she said, the betrayal complete as the lie slipped out without much hesitation.

'What's going on over there at Sterling Bosch?' Neal asked playfully. 'You having a run on recoveries of stolen art?'

The sound of his deep, sensuous voice went straight to her lower belly, stirring familiar feelings of love and lust and suddenly, Sara longed to feel his arms around her, his mouth on hers, his body pressed up against her. In an uncharacteristic rush of desire, she got up from the table and stood behind him, slipping her arms around his waist as she began to run her hands up and down Neal's chest, grinning as she heard him moan in appreciation. His back felt warm and solid against her and the lustful sound he made egged her on as she let her hand linger down to the edge of his pants and slowly slip inside as Neal let out a gasp - part surprise and part delight.

'O-kay' Neal said, his voice shrill, as he felt her insistent yet totally unexpected touch on him.

'I love you _so_ much' she whispered in his ear as she continued with the impromptu seduction, her hands roaming, groping sloppily yet insistently.

'That's... _nice_ , honey' Neal answered, his voice matter of fact.

His breath hitched as she gave him an encouraging squeeze and he turned to face her in an attempt to understand what had brought on this sudden, unexpected wave of lust and desire in the middle of their kitchen. At dinner time. On a weeknight. Giving up on trying to figure out her motives, he let his lips find hers, kissing her deeply and feeling her tremble beneath his touch.

'You alright?' he whispered in her ear as his lips continued to roam.

She didn't answer, moaning as his hands got in on the act, wandering up and down her body, now fully invested in this unplanned yet pleasurable encounter.

'I want you so badly' Sara murmured, pushing him up against the kitchen counter and plastering her body up against his.

With one eye open, Neal's hand briefly reached out to turn off the burners and he willingly let himself return to his wife's frenzied touch. Dinner would just have to wait; he wasn't quite sure what had brought all this on but complaining about it was the furthest thing from his mind.

'Here?' he managed to ask, coming up for air.

'Huh, huh' she mumbled under her breath, suddenly realizing that she'd forgotten to ask if the kids were around. 'Are the - '

'No, they're not' he responded breathlessly without even hearing the rest of the question.

He began tugging at her clothes and she did the same, pulling him to her, trying to get him horizontal on the nearest available surface - which happened to be the kitchen floor. Being spontaneous was all very nice but Neal had enough sense to know that, at their age, the hardwood floor would be a punishing choice and instead, he guided her over to the nearby couch for a modicum of comfort. Although he suspected his back would be worse off for it in the morning, it appeared to be the lesser of two evils and he pulled her down as he continued working diligently to remove her clothes - which were annoyingly in the way of what he now realized he desperately wanted to do to her.

'Screw my back' he murmured as Sara frowned, having no idea what he was talking about and frankly, not really giving a damn.

He was hers, all hers and all she wanted was to forget her deceit and enjoy the moment while it lasted.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was 4:30 on Thursday morning and Sara was still tossing and turning while Neal slept the sleep of the innocent next to her. What the hell was she doing opening this can of worms when she could just let it be; their lives were just fine the way they were. She continued her internal see-saw of emotions, reminding herself of all those times Neal had made some offhand remark about his youth, about how hurt he'd been by his mom's actions and her lack of interest in him. Sara had a unique opportunity to help that sad, lost little boy make peace with that part of his past and she just couldn't stand by and watch that chance fade away without at least giving it a shot.

She took one last look at her snoring husband and rolled out of bed and directly into the hot, steaming shower before she lost her nerve. No more second guessing herself – if Linda Bennett didn't stand up to the Sara Ellis inquisition, she would refrain from pushing it any further and Neal would never be the wiser. She just needed to know once and for all what this woman had to say in her defence.

It was only 5:45 when she gave herself one last glance in the mirror, seeing Neal's sleeping form on the bed. She tiptoed over and kissed his lips while his eyes fluttered open.

'Mmmph' he muttered, reaching out for her.

'Honey, I'm leaving. I'll see you tonight' she said as Neal's arm fell away listlessly.

'..a g'd day' he mumbled as he turned in the bed.

'You too, honey. Have a good day' she answered before stepping out of their room and heading out to unravel the mystery that was Neal Caffrey.

WCWCWC

Sara stepped out of the taxi, thanking the driver as she took in the large building on Holland Street on the outskirts of St. Louis. The Amica Retirement Home was a state run institution, not flashy by any means but certainly clean looking and seemingly well run.

She'd just left her best friend downtown after grabbing a quick bite in a nearby café. Elizabeth had listened carefully as Sara went over her game plan one last time and she'd agreed to meet up with her again at 3:00, in time for their flight back when Sara would no doubt need a friendly ear and a shoulder to lean on.

It was a beautiful late spring day and Sara noticed that many of the residents were sitting outside in the garden, getting their vitamin D fix while they could. She glanced at her watch; it was just past 12:30 and she could see some of the residents trickling out of the main doors of the institution, ostensibly having just finished lunch. She took a deep breath and walked resolutely into the main office, smiling at the young woman sitting there with a phone to her ear. She signalled Sara that she would be with her momentarily and proceeded to finish up her call as Sara looked around the place, noting seniors using various modes of transportation, some with canes and walkers, others in wheelchairs, others still able to get around under their own steam.

'Hi, can I help you?' the woman behind the desk finally asked as Sara's eyes were drawn back to her smiling face.

'Yes, I'm here to see Mrs. Bennett, Mrs. Linda Bennett' Sara said, her voice unwavering.

'Mrs. Bennett?' the young woman repeated as if she couldn't believe her ears. 'That's nice. Mrs. Bennett doesn't get many visitors.'

Sara cringed. How did one carry on in life without any connection to the outside world, severed from any contact with loved ones. She just smiled pleasantly at the young woman as she pointed through the glass doors of the establishment to the nearby garden.

'There she is' she pointed to a silver haired woman sitting on a swing.

'Thank you' Sara said as she zeroed in on her mother in law, sitting alone with a book on her lap.

From a distance, she looked frail and lonely and Sara's heart immediately went out to her; whatever her sins, she deserved a chance to explain herself before being judged and sentenced. She began the slow walk towards her, examining her as she went, noticing that under a mop of soft grey curls were striking blue eyes, reminiscent of Neal's and Hope's and Sara realized that however you sliced it, this woman was intricately linked to their lives and always would be.

Curious eyes looked up as Sara walked by; lunchtime on a weekday was not prime time for visitors. Most families visited on weekends or during the evening and newcomers at Amica were scrutinized by the residents who had little else to do to occupy the long hours. Sara kept her eyes on Linda Bennett and the woman finally looked up as Sara slowed down, their eyes meeting for the first time.

'Sara!' the woman said as Sara's mouth dropped open.

WCWCWC

'And, that's basically it' Neal said in conclusion. 'Of course you're free to carry out the class any way you see fit'

'Thanks Dad. I think I can handle it' Hope answered as she stood across from her dad in his office.

'And don't let Caitlin get away with anything' he added, in warning. 'She's quite the little manipulator'

Hope locked eyes with her dad and grinned. 'It takes one to know one' she said with a devilish grin as she stepped out, on her way to teaching her first art class.

Neal rolled his eyes and returned to the mountain of paperwork on his desk. The school was still new and there was so much to do before things finally settled into a routine. He'd just gotten back on task when Cindy poked her head in his office, a triumphant smile on her face.

'Hey boss!' she said as his eyes moved to her face. 'Good news. I just signed Randall's to a one year commitment' she said victoriously.

'That's fantastic!' Neal said with a wide grin.

As director of the art school's Foundation, Cindy's job was to recruit sponsors for classes and other events the school ran. She'd been working with Neal since the school opened and she couldn't think of a better way to honor her grandmother's memory than to help keep the school financially viable for years to come.

'I'm still working on the Arden Gallery though' she said, disappointed. 'For all the money they rake in, you'd think they'd be willing to give some back to the community'

'You'll get 'em, tiger' Neal said, his voice confident. 'If anybody can, you can'

'Look, I'm headed out. I'll see you tomorrow' she said as she made her way to the door.

'Tomorrow' Neal repeated with a wave of his hand.

Working with Cindy Harrington was one of the perks of running the June Ellington School of Art. She, more than anyone, knew how important June's legacy was and Neal had had very little trouble recruiting her for the all important job. While she saw to the fund raising, his job was to _spend_ the cash – hiring teachers, purchasing supplies and doing some of the teaching himself, making sure his philosophy was clearly articulated and adhered to by all the staff. But he was beginning to realize that the job he was doing was tediously routine and he'd recently begun to think about adding an administrator to the roster, freeing him up to do more creative, fun stuff. At the age of 55, it was time to do what _he_ loved to do and not get bogged down in a job he didn't find gratifying. He much preferred mentoring his staff, meeting with the kids and working with schools in the early identification of students who could benefit from their innovative programs.

He saw a furtive blur slip by his office door and he glanced at his watch. It was 3:50 and Hope's class started promptly at 3:30 – any latecomers were automatically turned away. It was all part of developing a discipline for these kids who needed boundaries so they could flourish. He stood and took the few steps to his office door, glancing down the hall.

'Caitlin?' he called out, seeing his young charge trying to sneak into the classroom next door.

She turned, slightly unsteady and looked at him with a crooked smile. 'C'mon, Mr. Caffrey. Just this once?' she asked, her voice pleading

'Come here please' Neal said, summoning her back down the hall.

She gave an exaggerated huff and dragged her feet to where he stood, waiting in the door frame to his office, looking very stern, indeed. She tried with the crooked smile again and Neal glared back at her, noticing she was a little off. It didn't take a rocket scientist to notice her pupils were blown wide and her smile was not her natural, easy grin.

'You're high' he said, without judgement. 'You can't be here if you're high'

'I'm _not_ high' she protested as Neal just stared back, unimpressed.

'You know the rules, Caitlin. Now go home and come back next time' he answered, unwavering.

She stepped a little closer to him and batted her eyelashes, something Neal was immune to. But her next move was unexpected and most unwelcome and he immediately pulled back as the young girl, put her hands up to his chest and pulled playfully on his sweater's lapel.

'C'mon Neal. You can make an exception for _me_ ' she said, her voice inappropriately provocative.

'It's _Mr._ Caffrey' Neal said without missing a beat. 'And _no_ , Caitlin there will be no exceptions'

She was slightly unsteady on her feet and she purposefully let herself fall into him, knowing full well he'd have to hold her up to keep her from tumbling. Neal wasn't going to let himself get caught up in her little games and he held her arm sternly, calling out to Janelle O'Neill, one of his teachers, who he spotted coming down the hall.

'Janelle' he called out 'Could you escort Caitlin to the door. She's in no fit state to be here today' he said as he stared back at Caitlin whose face had hardened in anger.

'You'll regret this, _Neal_ ' she said in a defiant tone of voice he hadn't imagined her capable of.

He watched as the two of them walked away; sometimes tough love was necessary – and this was definitely one of those times.

WCWCWC

'You know who I am?' Sara said, standing there in a state of shock.

Linda Bennett gave her a warm smile and nodded. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. It's just, you were the last person – well maybe the second to last person – I ever expected to see here today'

'Well, believe me, it wasn't an easy decision to come here' Sara said as she stepped onto the swing, sitting opposite her mother-in-law.

She studied the woman, noticing echoes of her husband in her eyes, in her smile, in the way she held her head. It was disconcerting to observe although she'd always marvelled at seeing parts of Neal in both their children. She liked the woman immediately, although she didn't understand how a mother could do what she'd done – abandoning her child and never looking back.

'You're even more beautiful than your pictures' Linda Bennett said, pulling Sara out of her reverie.

Sara stared back, not understanding.

'If you help me up, I'll take you to my room' the woman said '...and I'll explain everything.'

WCWCWC

'Look, just knock on the door and ask if she's home' Neal said as he and Hope drove up towards the small row house in the Bronx.

Hope looked sideways at her dad; sometimes, he got a little too wrapped up in his students' lives and she didn't want to see him get hurt. Despite her better judgment, she stepped out of the car and knocked on the door to the small house, listening as she heard loud footsteps coming from the other side. Sure enough, there stood Caitlin, phone in hand, standing in the doorway, obviously surprised to find Hope standing there. Neal watched from the car, relieved to see the young girl had made it home safely. He wasn't sure how he was going to deal with her; the fact that she seemed to have a crush on him definitely complicated things. Any gesture he might make to try to help her could be interpreted as encouragement for her wayward affections and that was the last thing he wanted. And yet, he had to find a way to get through to her. He resolved to call her teacher from school and solicit her help; he knew she cared a great deal about Caitlin and her future. Hope might be part of the solution too – the two of them seemed to have hit it off and maybe she could break through the young girl's shell and connect with her somehow.

Neal watched as Hope made her way back to the car, rolling her eyes.

'She's fine but she's still pretty buzzed' Hope said as she stepped back in and fastened her seatbelt.

They drove in silence for a moment before she spoke up again. 'Dad, you can't be responsible for every wayward kid that waltzes into the school.'

He glanced at her with a soft smile. 'I know.'

'She could be trouble, Dad. She could make your life really hard' Hope said, aware of how easy it was for young girls to misinterpret gestures of kindness from good looking father figures.

She'd seen women swoon over her dad her whole life - including some of her friends - and he always handled it with a lot of grace and poise, never putting them down yet making it clear he had no romantic interest in them. He was a master at deflection, yet, when he got emotionally invested, he found it hard to keep that safe distance.

Neal hadn't talked much about his painful childhood to his kids. Sure, they both knew about his criminal past, his years at Sing Sing, his time as a criminal informant with the FBI – but he'd never really shared the hard times that had led him down that path in the first place. Hope and Liam knew that Neal had been raised in witness protection and that his dad hadn't been in his life since the age of three but Neal had refrained from giving them details about how his early years had affected his life choices and the fact that even today, it was still hard to deal with that part of his life. Yet, that ever present pain and anguish was exactly what motivated him to want to help the Caitlins of the world, trying to keep them from going down the long tortuous road he'd followed in his early adult life.

'Honey, I had a really rough time growing up' he confessed. 'My mom... well, she did her best but she wasn't there for me and I had a really hard time dealing with stuff as a kid. I want to help kids who are going through rough times so they don't have to go through what I went through.'

'But Dad, look at you. You're an accomplished artist, you own your own art gallery and this great school. You made it through somehow.'

'I did, sweet pea' he readily agreed. 'But I didn't do it alone. If it hadn't been for Uncle Peter and your mom, I would probably be in jail serving out a life sentence right now.'

Hope stared at her dad as he spoke. She'd never heard him talk like that before, so vulnerable and so raw. Suddenly, she imagined him as a helpless little boy, abandoned by his mother and left to his own devices and she wondered how he had gotten through all that to become the wonderful dad she knew and loved.

'I didn't realize...' she said simply, touching his hand.

He shrugged, obviously uncomfortable at having bared his soul to his little girl who'd always seen him as a strong, capable man.

Unbeknownst to Neal, the healing had begun.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sara followed Linda Bennett down the long, narrow third floor corridor of the Amica Retirement Home down to the woman's room, situated about halfway down the hallway. Linda ambled slowly, plowing along with the help of her trusty walker as Sara adjusted her usually frantic pace to fall in step with her mother-in-law. They made small talk as they walked - nice early spring they were having, how the tulips had bloomed early – nothing too personal and Sara noticed a warm inflection in the older woman's voice; despite needing a lot more information before rendering judgement on her motives, Sara had to admit she already liked the woman.

She was unprepared, however, for what she saw when they stepped into the older woman's room. Sara froze in the doorway, gasping, before stepping all the way in; displayed all over the sparsely furnished room were framed photographs of Neal, herself and the kids at various moments over the years.

Linda Bennett picked up on Sara's consternation and spoke, urging her to come in and take a seat.

'I know I must look like a stalker right about now but please, take a seat, and I'll explain everything to you' she said as Sara finally followed her in.

The room was minuscule and held a single bed, an armchair, a folding chair (folded up against the far wall), a dresser, a bedside table, a small television set and a couple of lamps. There were at least a dozen photographs - mostly of the Caffrey family with some of Neal as a child - displayed in pretty frames throughout the room.

Linda pushed her walker off to one side and let herself fall heavily in the armchair, inviting Sara to pull up the folded chair and sit beside her. Sara was tongue tied, unsure what to make of it all, shocked to see the array of photographs – where had they all come from?

'I owe you an explanation… but I think you owe me one too' she said as she studied Sara's face.

'You're right' Sara answered; she needed to explain how she'd found Linda in the first place and why she'd showed up on her doorstep, unannounced – and uninvited.

'I know you've been trying to get in touch with Neal' Sara said, her voice quiet.

'Did he send you?' Linda asked, her voice suddenly bright and hopeful.

'No' Sara answered sadly. 'He doesn't even know I'm here… and he would be very upset if he knew I'd come to see you behind his back.'

Linda frowned; she'd momentarily hoped that Sara's sudden appearance meant that Neal was ready to reach out to her.

'Neal carries around a lot of pain from his childhood... still today' Sara continued as Linda listened, her face sad. 'He somehow managed to build a wall around that part of himself so he didn't have to deal with it – but that pain is still there, that little boy is still hurting. He's not ready to let it go yet and I'm here to find out if I should encourage him to re-open that sad chapter of his life.'

'But, how did you find me?' Linda asked.

'I saw Neal throw out a letter you wrote to him – without even opening it' Sara admitted. 'I'm not proud of what I did...I dug it out of the recycle bin and I read it… even though it wasn't mine to read.'

Linda listened intently, seeing the love and pain in Sara's eyes.

'You love him very much, don't you dear?' she stated more than asked as Sara nodded, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

'You have no idea…' she began, her voice breaking.

Linda leaned forward and took her frail, shaking hand, placing it on top of Sara's as the two women connected. In that moment, it was obvious that they both shared a love for the ex conman.

'Neal spent years hiding behind a persona he'd created for himself' Sara explained. 'When I met him, he walked around like a damn peacock – like nothing could ever get to him, nothing could touch him or hurt him. He hid behind that mask for a really long time – he kept himself safe from the pain of his past and he didn't let anybody in. It took a really long time but eventually...well, things started to change.'

'You got pregnant' Linda said, squeezing her hand.

'How did you know?' Sara asked, leaning in a little closer.

'It's time I come clean, too' Linda said, her voice quiet.

WCWCWC

Neal sat at the kitchen table in front of his laptop as he jotted down a list of items he needed to order for the gallery. Hope had disappeared upstairs and he could hear her soft voice in the distance – probably talking to Cam on the phone. Sara still wasn't home; she was putting in a long day at Sterling Bosch and he figured she'd be hungry when she finally made it back. He and Hope had caved in and ordered a pizza on the way back – an unusual occurrence on a weeknight – but Neal was feeling out of sorts ever since that encounter with Caitlin and he'd given in to the appeal of a sausage pizza without putting up much of a fight.

His phone rang and Neal snapped out of his reverie, glancing down at the display: 'Thornhill High School' it read as he rushed to answer.

'Jo!' he said, out of breath 'Thanks for returning my call'

'Hi Neal. I assume you're calling about our mutual friend' the woman responded.

They'd been in touch on a couple of occasions, touching base about Caitlin and strategizing on how they could help the rebellious teen deal with her issues. Jo Thompson was one of those extraordinary high school teachers who never clocked off; she'd seen the potential in Caitlin from day one and she'd been the one to contact Neal to see about getting her into the June Ellington School of Art.

'Yeah' Neal answered as he thought back to their encounter. 'She showed up stoned to art class today and I had to turn her away.'

'Awww. That explains why she didn't show up at school today' Jo said, sounding disappointed. 'You know I really thought we were making headway with her.'

'Well, she was really pissed off at me for turning her away... I'm worried she might do something stupid' Neal admitted. 'Where is she getting the money to buy this shit anyway?'

'Sadly, Caitlin has her ways' Jo responded.

'Anyway' Neal continued 'I just wanted to give you a heads up... maybe you can try to connect with her and see where her head's at. I don't seem to be her favorite person at the moment.'

'Will do, Neal. I'll make sure to get back to you' the woman answered. 'Oh, and Neal... try not to worry so much about her, okay?'

'Right' Neal answered. Easier said than done.

WCWCWC

'Can you reach into that drawer and take out the album on top?' Linda asked as Sara sat by her side.

The room was so small that everything was within easy reach and without effort, Sara opened the drawer to the small bedside table, noticing a large book – a keepsake book. She removed it from its hiding place and handed it over to the older woman who smiled brightly at the sight of it. She cradled it in her lap, caressing it lovingly; whatever it held obviously meant a lot to her.

Her eyes met Sara's.

'After Neal left home, I lost track of him for awhile. Frankly, I was a mess – so worrying about somebody else was more than I could handle. Neal was a handful growing up. He missed his dad and he was a busy, impulsive kid; I just didn't have what it took to help him channel all that wonderful creative energy' she said with a wistful smile.

'But it wasn't him... it was me...I just wasn't up to the task. And I pretty well lived from day to day back then, focussed on where the next bottle of bourbon or my next fix would come from' she said, looking embarrassed.

'I heard he'd gone to New York but not much else… then, one day, Ellen called to tell me Neal had been arrested and was serving time for bond forgery. By the time he was released, I'd begun to get my life in order; I'd gone to rehab for the third time and… well, the third time was the charm and I finally got the monkey off my back for good. I was almost sixty years old...'

Sara watched the woman's eyes; lonely, sad eyes which had seen much too much pain and anguish in her long lifetime.

'When he was released, I wanted to reach out to him but I was embarrassed. I felt responsible for all the pain I'd caused him and I figured he wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. I hired a private investigator and he tracked him to Riverside Drive in Manhattan. That's when I found out he had gotten work release with the FBI. And that's when I first met June Ellington.'

Sara's eyes widened at the mention of June's name.

'I reached out to June and I explained who I was and how I'd made of mess of things. At first, she was wary and she didn't want to have anything to do with me but after we'd talked a couple of times, she recognized me for what I was: a sad, lonely, broken hearted mom who bitterly regretted having let her son slip out of her life. She didn't want Neal hurt and I promised to stay away and not mess with him and she finally agreed to tell me how he was doing – not much in the beginning, just the broad strokes. At first, she would chat briefly with me over the phone. She told me Neal was working with Peter Burke at the FBI and that he was healthy and doing well. She felt guilty, said she felt like she was betraying Neal by talking to me but I guess, being a mother herself, she understood what I was going through.'

Sara smiled as she thought of those early years after Neal's release and the day he first came back into her life – that day in front of Montebello's where she shook like a leaf at the sight of him coming towards her. By all appearances, he'd seemed to have everything going for him and he had that annoying swagger that told everyone he met: ' _I'm Neal Caffrey and I'm on top of the world_ '. It had taken a while for Sara to realize that reality was very different; underneath it all, Neal was a broken little boy who didn't trust easily and who'd learned to live behind that smiling facade as a means of survival.

'Then, after a year or so of sporadic phone calls, June wrote me a lengthier e-mail and she sent along some photographs. I was over the moon. Neal was so handsome and he smiled that megawatt smile; I was happy for him and by then, all I wanted was to know that he was alright.'

Sara listened intently as the woman spoke and watched as she finally opened the album that sat on her frail lap, running her hand tenderly over the first page – the print out of an e-mail and a photograph of Neal looking very much like the man she'd met over twenty years before.

'So every few months, June would send me some fresh news. I heard about how you got pregnant, how you moved into Neal's apartment and June wrote to me on the day Neal proposed to tell me the good news. Over time, June tried to convince me to reach out to him so that he could decide for himself whether or not he wanted me in his life but… I was too scared, I was too afraid of rejection and Neal seemed happy; I didn't want to mess things up a second time, so I stayed away.'

Linda Bennett began turning the pages of the album as Sara watched their lives as a family unfold before her eyes: Hope's birth, pictures of the house in White Plains, their first Christmas as a family, pregnant with Liam, a newborn Liam in his big sister's arms and more recently, the opening of the Raphael – even photographs of Raffie eating scraps off the table at what appeared to be one of their many Christmas dinners.

It was odd to realize that a practical stranger was privy to the minute details of their private lives and Sara felt uneasy at the realization. But then, she looked up into Linda Bennett's eyes filled with tears and she realized that she was hurting too, just as much as Neal and that despite her shortcomings in those early years, she'd stayed away mostly out of love and respect for Neal's wishes.

'So, what's changed?' Sara asked as she looked directly into the woman's deep blue eyes. 'Why now?'

'I'm dying' she responded matter of factly, as if she were talking about the weather. 'And now it's important that I tell Neal that I've never stopped loving him and that I've always wanted what was best for him...'

She stopped for a moment and Sara knew she'd left her thought unfinished.

'...and I need to beg for his forgiveness.'

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

'Are you alright?' asked Elizabeth as she watched Sara running towards her at the departure gate.

'I thought we were going to miss our flight' she added, grabbing her friend's arm and guiding her towards the gate while the last of the passengers trickled in. 'How did it go?'

'I'll tell you all about it on the plane' answered Sara, breathless.

She'd cut things awfully close – feeling as though she could have stayed by Linda Bennett's side for hours, getting to know her better. There were still so many unanswered questions but they would have to wait for another day.

The two friends settled into their seats and Sara took a long, cleansing breath; her mind was reeling from the flurry of information she'd managed to uncover over the past few hours. El sat patiently by her side, waiting for Sara to be ready to fill her in on what had happened. By the time the plane left the ground, Sara was on a roll, words spilling out of her at breakneck speed as she processed the information she'd just gathered.

'El, she's a sad, lonely woman' she began. 'She was really messed up when Neal was little. When her husband got arrested and went to jail, she was totally thrown for a loop. She was left with an active, impulsive three year old in a city where she didn't know a soul – except for Ellen. Then, she got mixed up with this nasty guy and she began to drink and do drugs and...'

'Slow down, honey' El said, taking her hand. 'It's a two hour flight.'

Sara took a breath; her mind was going a mile a minute. Her instincts told her that she could trust Linda Bennett and that meeting his mom would help Neal finally let go of all that pain and anger he'd harbored since he was a kid. Convincing him of that would be a whole other thing, though.

'She's the first to admit she was a horrible mother to Neal but it's obvious she's suffered a lot too' she continued, lowering her voice. 'El, she'd been in touch with June for years and June was sending her pictures and keeping her informed of what was happening with Neal – with us.'

'You're kidding!' El said, her mouth agape. 'How do you think Neal's going to take _that_ news?'

Sara shrugged. 'I don't know. The last thing I want is for Neal to be upset about what June did – their relationship was so special. Linda says that June didn't want to talk to her at first, she didn't want to betray Neal's trust but over time June realized that Linda just needed to be reassured and she began to send her pictures and e-mails.'

Elizabeth listened, enthralled. Sara looked up at her and gave her a weak smile.

'Oh God!' El said, fully realizing the impact of Sara's actions. 'Are you going to tell him everything?'

'Of course...I have to' Sara answered, her voice shaky. 'I was wrong to keep this from him in the first place but now... El, I really think that Neal should sit down and talk to her and finally let go of that dark little place in his heart where he keeps all that anger and resentment.'

Elizabeth listened and thought of Neal, how he'd managed to cover up that hurt when she'd first met him – the conman who'd masterfully conned himself. Over the years, he'd made more and more room for genuine love and affection – for her, for Peter, for Sara and, eventually, for the kids. But that hurt little boy still hovered right under the surface and every day, Neal had to push that pain aside in order to fully live his life. Maybe Sara was right; maybe helping him let go of that pain would truly set him free.

WCWCWC

It was 7:50 by the time Sara made it home. El had dropped her off at the Park 'n Ride in White Plains so she could pick up her car and drive home as she did every night. She sat in their driveway, staring up at the house – Neal would be waiting, probably with dinner and a big smile on his face. She _had_ to talk to him – _tonight_. She couldn't keep this from him any longer; the deception had begun to eat at her like a bad rash.

She'd have a shower and a bite to eat and then they could sit quietly and discuss things, without histrionics. She hoped Neal would be able forgive her for going behind his back – that was the first hurdle; he didn't usually hold grudges but all bets would be off if he felt she'd betrayed him. Then, she had to make him understand where his mom was coming from. That would take a lot more time and work but she'd start slow and let him process what she had to say.

She got out of the car and she'd taken a few tentative steps towards the house when she spotted Liam bursting out of the front door.

'Hey Mom!' he said with a smile.

'Hey honey, where are you off to?' she asked.

'Just heading over to Will's to study for that math test' he answered as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

'Alright, be home by 10' she reminded him.

'Yes mother' he answered by rote – as if his dad hadn't said the exact same thing to him no more than thirty seconds before.

Sara stepped into the quiet house and set her things down by the door, heading back towards the kitchen on her quest to find Neal.

'What'd you forget, buddy?' she heard from the family room as she followed the voice she loved to come home to.

'Oh, honey, you're home!' Neal exclaimed, face smiling as she came into view.

He got up from his comfortable spot on the couch where he'd been watching something on television and he opened his arms to greet her.

'Long day at the office, baby?' he asked as he hugged her, lovingly rubbing his hand up and down her back.

'You would _not_ believe' she said, keeping the deception going just a few moments longer. She couldn't quite bring herself to look into his eyes and she wiggled out of his grasp, anxious to step into a nice, hot shower.

'Give me a minute to jump in the shower and I'll be right back' she said, turning back towards the stairs at the front of the house.

'Okay' Neal said with a touch of mischief in his voice, looking like he was looking forward to a little canoodling. 'I'll be right here...'

He heard her run up the stairs and he settled back down to watch the end of the show he wasn't really paying attention to. He thought of the long day Sara had just put in at the office and wondered if he should make her something to eat, maybe an omelet or a grilled cheese sandwich - she must be starved.

'Honey!' he called up from his spot on the couch 'Have you eaten?'

He could hear Sara's footsteps above his head and he hurriedly made his way to the front of the house to call up to her before she turned on the shower.

'Sara!' he called again, cursing as he tripped over his wife's bag and purse, sending various and sundry items tumbling out all over the hard wood floor. She was always the first one to nag the kids whenever they left their shoes or bags right at the front door – something she was just as guilty of doing as they were.

A lipstick case rolled all the way under the living room couch and Neal grumbled as he got on all fours to retrieve it. He'd just returned to the open bag and was grabbing a number of odds and ends that had fallen out when he noticed a strangely familiar piece of paper – one he recognized from his many forays outside New York. He picked up the airline ticket receipt and squinted as he attempted to read what was written on it. With great effort, he managed to make out the destination on the ticket receipt: St. Louis, Missouri. He frowned and walked back to the kitchen to fetch the pair of reading glasses he always kept by his recipe books and he sat at the kitchen table to better examine the piece of paper in his hand.

Upon scrutiny, Neal could see that the receipt was made out to Sara Ellis for a return flight to St. Louis dated that very day, departing JFK at 7:15 and arriving back in New York City at 18:40. He stared down at the table, trying to logically explain away the unexpected discovery; whatever reason Sara had for taking a return trip to St. Louis, she obviously hadn't wanted him to know about it. He cringed as he realized she'd just lied to him, no more than five minutes earlier, when she'd complained about her long day at the office. Sara was a straight shooter, preferring a drag 'em out fight rather than avoiding a touchy subject through misdirection or lies. He sat puzzled as to her motivations for not telling him the truth.

A troubling thought crossed his mind as he reflected on his mom's recent attempts at contacting him and he pushed the thought aside immediately; surely, this couldn't have anything to do with _that_. Try as he might, he couldn't come up with one single theory that would explain why his wife of almost twenty years would lie to him and leave the city for a day without telling him.

He was still sitting there, mulling things over, when Sara returned in a robe and bare feet. She made her way to where he sat, lacing her arms around his neck and whispering in his ear.

'That feels better' she said as she kissed his cheek.

She made her way to the fridge and began rummaging for leftovers, oblivious to Neal's glare on her back, sitting there uncertain as to how to tackle the situation. When she turned around to face him, she immediately spotted the incriminating receipt in his hand and watched as his eyes glared back at her, waiting for her to come clean with some logical explanation for his discovery.

'Neal...' she said, breathless '...I can explain...'

Neal just kept staring, not knowing _what_ to think.

'I...honey, I...' she continued, not helping her case in any way.

'Please tell me this has _nothing_ to do with my mother' Neal finally said, his voice calm as he stared her down intently.

The look on her face said it all and Neal was up like a shot, exploding with anger.

'It does, doesn't it!' he screamed as Sara stepped back, startled by the intensity of his voice.

Her eyes instantly filled with tears; this was not at all how she'd planned on explaining things to him. She'd imagined herself, composed and calm, hand holding his while she lovingly explained what she'd done - and why.

Her guilty silence filled the room as Neal began to put the pieces together.

'Sara, this has _nothing_ to do with you. You had no business sticking your nose in' he continued, livid.

'Neal, please, let me explain...' she began, her voice meek.

'Explain? Explain what? That you _lied_ to me and went behind my _back_ – sticking your nose into something that has _nothing_ to do with you' he screamed menacingly, waving the receipt in her face.

'But I wanted to help...' she started again.

'You wanted to help? Help with what, Sara? Didn't I make myself clear when you asked me the other day? I don't want to have anything to do with her... that woman has nothing to do with us or with our lives. Which part of that didn't you understand?' he continued shouting angrily, his finger wagging menacingly before her eyes.

He began fishing around the kitchen island, ostensibly looking for car keys as Sara moved in a bit closer, reaching out to touch his arm.

'Neal, please...' she began.

'DON'T' he shouted as he glared at her. 'Don't you even...'

In a totally uncharacteristic gesture, Neal lashed out angrily, physically pushing her out of his way as he stormed out of the kitchen and towards the front of the house, slamming the door loudly as he left.

Sara stood in shock, still trying to process what had just happened, all her good intentions up in smoke.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Neal couldn't quite remember how he'd gotten there but when he finally came to his senses, he was parked in front of the little house on DeKalb Street in Brooklyn. Driving over, he'd tried in vain to sift through the conflicting emotions which had hit him all at once: anger, betrayal, hurt, fear. He wasn't doing a very good job of sorting through his thoughts _or_ his emotions and he knew that if anyone could help him make sense of things, it was level-headed Peter Burke. He climbed the few steps up to the house and gave a couple of cursory warning knocks before barrelling into the house unannounced, finding both El and Peter nestled together on the couch.

'Neal! What are you doing here? Peter asked as he stood to greet his best friend. 'What's wrong?'

He could see Neal's eyes wild with... fear? anger?... he wasn't sure. El, on the other hand, knew exactly what was going on and she didn't want to be there for the fallout; she knew she wouldn't be able to sit across from Neal and listen to what he had to say without tipping her hand – she knew precisely what had put him in this sorry state. There was also the small matter of coming clean to Peter about her role in Sara's deception - something she hadn't quite gotten around to doing yet and she sure as hell didn't want to have _that_ uncomfortable conversation in Neal's presence.

Sensing Neal was on the verge of a major meltdown, she exchanged worried looks with Peter. 'Honey, why don't I let you two talk' she said as she grabbed her purse by the front door. 'I'll be back in a little while.'

If Neal was in this state, it was pretty well guaranteed Sara wasn't faring much better and El figured that, at this hour of the night, she could make it out to White Plains in less than an hour; she set her sights on heading out there to see what she could do to help.

Neal didn't even seem to notice El leaving as he remained standing in the middle of the Burkes' living room, seething.

Peter walked up and took his arm. 'Neal, what the hell's going on?'

He guided him over to the couch. 'Can I get you something to drink?'

Neal shook his head absentmindedly at the question as he let himself fall listlessly onto the Burkes' couch. He seemed to suddenly clue in to what Peter had just asked him and he looked up at his friend deciding that, come to think of it, a little self-destructive behavior was exactly what was called for in a situation like this.

'You know what? I _will_ have a drink – do you have any scotch?'

WCWCWC

Over in White Plains, Sara wasn't doing much better. Despite her best intentions, she'd made a mess of the situation and she wasn't quite sure how to dig herself out. Neal was not usually quick to anger – that was more her style – and it was disconcerting to see him react so vehemently, lashing out as he had. She was still reeling from the way he'd pushed her away, the look of anger in his eyes when he'd left – or was that pain? Would he ever forgive her for keeping this from him? Maybe this time, she'd really gone too far.

'Mom, what's going on?' Hope asked as she appeared out of nowhere.

Sara hadn't even realized her daughter was in the house and she looked up in surprise as Hope appeared, already in her sleep clothes – even though it was just past 8:00.

'Daddy and I had a fight' Sara answered, her voice even – as if that hadn't been obvious enough; the walls were still shaking from Neal's little diatribe.

'What about?' Hope asked as she took a seat at the kitchen table next to her mom.

'Oh, honey, I kept something from him and he just found out...' Sara answered.

Hope searched her mother's eyes to figure out what she could have possibly done to set her dad off the way she had; Neal was a master at controlling his emotions and she thought back to the rare occasions in her life where she'd seen him lose his cool. Her mom, on the other hand... well, that was a whole other story.

Sara began to tell her daughter the whole sordid tale, how the letter had appeared and how she'd read it behind Neal's back and had gotten it in her head that this was the perfect opportunity to help him let go of all that unresolved anger and resentment he'd always felt towards his mom. She ended with her visit to St. Louis and how Neal had found out what she'd done.

Hope listened calmly; as always, she was an excellent sounding board. Sara knew she'd get the straight goods from her daughter; after all, she loved both her parents and she never hesitated to give her honest opinion.

'Mom, you know how Dad is when he gets blindsided. He has this weird... control thing' Hope stated, an accurate observation.

'I know... I should have told him what I planned to do... but I wanted to see for myself first what his mom was like... if she was _worthy_ of him putting himself out there for her.'

'And?' Hope asked, curious. After all, this was her biological grandmother they were talking about - although June Ellington was the only grandma she'd ever known.

'Oh honey, she's a sad, broken woman. Just like Daddy, she's suffering from what happened all those years ago. And... she's dying and she wants to make peace with him, tell him where she was coming from at the time, understand what he went through.'

Sara looked at Hope, her face serious. 'And she wants to ask for his forgiveness.'

Hope let out a sigh. Of course, she hadn't known her dad back then but she knew that he'd had a rough time of it and that his painful youth was the main reason he wanted to work with all those troubled kids he met every day at the art school.

There wasn't much else to say. Sara seemed to be doing an excellent job of kicking herself in the ass and Hope reached out and put her arm around her mom in an attempt to ease the pain. That was all that was left to do.

WCWCWC

Halfway through his third scotch, Neal was talking a mile a minute, filling Peter in on what he'd discovered in Sara's bag, how she'd gone behind his back when he'd explicitly told her he didn't want to have anything to do with his mom.

'She's so damn... pig headed!' he said of his wife. The lubrication from the alcohol was bringing down his defences, his filters slowly vanishing.

There were few secrets between the two men and Neal had no compunction about speaking freely to his best friend about Sara and their marriage. Peter knew his ex CI loved his wife like crazy and even in this moment, he knew they would somehow find a way to work things out. Just like him and El, the Caffreys had had their fair share of ups and downs in their nearly twenty year marriage but their commitment to each other was rock solid and had always prevailed and Peter believed that it always would.

'Neal, Sara loves you...' he said, hoping to bring the rhetoric down a notch.

Neal scoffed, shaking his head.

'Why did she have to stick her nose in this. It's none of her goddam business' Neal said, anger rising in his voice.

He took a long slow pull on his drink. 'Things are perfectly fine the way they are.'

Peter remained silent, something that wasn't lost on Neal.

'What?' Neal asked of his best friend.

Peter hesitated for a moment, unsure if he wanted to open the can of worms. Hell, the can was already wide open so he took a deep breath and charged ahead. 'Neal, this thing with your mom... it's always been there, right under the surface' he said wisely.

'What do you mean?' Neal asked. As far as he was concerned, things were perfectly fine; he was happy with his life.

'Neal, we all have stuff from our childhood that we need to deal with. Hell, some people spend their whole life in therapy trying to work that kind of stuff out.' Peter explained.

'What? You think I should go to _therapy_?' Neal said, scoffing again.

'No. That's not what I'm saying... but you have a unique opportunity to work things out with your mom and put the whole thing to bed once and for all' Peter said, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard.

He'd watched Neal struggle over the years when it came to letting go of the resentment he felt towards the woman who had abandoned him and had never bothered to look back. Despite overwhelming odds to the contrary, Neal's past hadn't kept him from succeeding in life or stopped him from developing satisfying, loving relationships with his wife and kids but it was always there, that dark cloud of pain and resentment following him everywhere he went.

'I _don't_ want to see her, Peter. She wasn't there when I needed her and I had to learn to figure everything out by myself. She doesn't get to swoon in and play the martyr now that she's dying' Neal said vehemently.

He handed his glass back to Peter, silently asking for another refill and Peter let out a sigh as he reached over for the bottle of scotch.

WCWCWC

The three women had moved over to the family room and sat cradling a glass of wine in their laps as they chatted. All Sara could do was wait for Neal to come home – which she had no doubt he would do... eventually. He'd been mad at her on many occasions over the years but he usually took things in stride, having long ago accepted Sara's fiery temperament. Despite his impulsiveness, he usually managed to reign in his feelings; after all, he'd had to learn how to hide his true emotions at a really young age in order to protect himself from the hurt caused by his mom's selfishness and self-absorption.

Sara was the one who tended to fly off the handle in their relationship, the one who called things as she saw them no matter what. She didn't censor her responses and Neal had learned to take her sometimes 'over the top' reactions with a grain of salt. But this time, she'd pushed him over the edge and anger was a lethal combination when it was combined with hurt and a sense of betrayal – which was definitely the case whether or not Neal was ready to admit it.

'He'll come home, Mom' Hope said as she smiled at her mother.

'I know honey. But he feels betrayed and it's going to take a while for him to get over it' Sara answered, sadly.

She wanted to put her energy into helping Neal see the benefits of reaching out to his mom - but first she had to fix the maelstrom of angst she'd managed to create in their marriage.

WCWCWC

Ever since he'd arrived at the Burkes, Neal had been on a mission to numb all those pesky conflicting emotions he was feeling and by the time the bottle of scotch was empty, he was three sheets to the wind, becoming more and more incoherent and less and less capable of working rationally through the situation. Peter watched; his job was to just be there and listen – and make sure Neal didn't get back behind the wheel in his condition.

As Neal's musings became less and less rational – and more and more tediously repetitive – Peter knew it was time to put the conversation – and Neal – to bed.

'Come on, buddy. Let me take you upstairs; you can sleep in the guest room tonight' Peter said as he stood to help Neal off the couch.

'Naw, I'm fine' Neal slurred, sounding like a petulant child.

'No, you're not. Come on, I'll call Sara and let her know you're spending the night' Peter said as he put out a hand to help his best friend off the couch.

' _Don't_ call her... let her worry' Neal said in an uncharacteristically petty tone of voice that Peter knew came from a place of hurt.

Neal's eyes searched Peter's face for a reaction to his nasty comment. 'Why do I let her get to me?' he lamented as he let Peter pull him up off the couch. He looked like a lonely little boy who had lost his anchor; Sara's perceived betrayal had cut deep, deeper than he'd first wanted to let on.

'Because you love her...and she loves you' Peter said as he placed Neal's limp arm around his shoulder.

The men made it up the stairs and Peter helped Neal off with his shoes, slipping him, fully clothed, under the covers as Neal mumbled something about nobody understanding him.

'Sleep it off, buddy. Things will be clearer in the morning' Peter advised.

He walked to the bedroom door, turning to check on his best friend one last time.

'P'ter' Neal called out, already half asleep. 'Sara'll be worried. Call and tell her I'm okay' he mumbled as Peter smiled in response.

'Goodnight buddy' Peter said as he turned off the light.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Peter sat on the edge of the bed, toeing off his shoes, phone cradled against his ear as he reassured Sara Ellis that her husband was safely asleep in the room next door. Sara thanked him for taking the time to call, refraining from telling him that El had already filled her in on the fact that Neal had turned up safe and sound in Brooklyn. She had enough of her own battles without becoming involved in the Burkes' marriage.

Peter rang off as he heard the front door open in the distance and within seconds, Elizabeth appeared in the doorway to their room, a smile on her face.

'Where did _you_ disappear to?' he asked as he continued getting undressed.

'I went for a drive' she answered as she began removing her earrings – not a lie, not really. 'Did Neal get home okay?'

Peter smiled and pointed. 'He's snoring next door. He kind of overdid it on the scotch.'

El nodded in understanding. Sara's deception had hit him hard and although he wasn't much of a drinker, it was just like Neal to postpone facing reality for as long as he could.

'Honey...' El said, sitting on the edge of the bed where Peter was already settled in for the night. It was time for her to come clean about her little escapade to St. Louis and she knew Peter would be none too pleased. He was always on her case about not getting involved in her best friend's affairs although he was guilty of the exact same thing.

He looked up expectantly, noticing a frown on his wife's face.

'Yesterday... well, I wasn't completely truthful with you... about my trip to Chicago' she began.

'What do you mean?' he asked, lines forming on his brow.

'Well, there _was_ no trip to Chicago' she blurted out.

'What do you mean? You lied to me? Why?' Peter asked, sitting up, his voice growing louder.

'Because I... I went to St. Louis...' she said, letting her silence do the rest.

'El, you didn't!' Peter said loudly before remembering Neal was right next door.

'Shhh!' she admonished.

'Awww, El! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't get involved in Neal and Sara's marriage!' Peter bellowed.

'Oh, like you've never gotten involved in Neal's... shenanigans!' she answered, her voice growing louder.

'That's different!' Peter said meekly although it really wasn't.

' _How_ is it different? They're our best friends, Peter. Sara needed me there and I didn't want to let her down.'

'Oh, because it's okay to lie to _me_ and let _me_ down?' he said, like a hurt little boy.

'Peter, you're being childish...' she said, immediately regretting her words.

'Childish? How's _this_ for childish?' he said, standing and grabbing his pillow from the bed and heading out the bedroom door.

El watched as he stormed out, ostensibly to find other accommodations for the night and she huffed as she watched him leave.

Peter opened the door to the guest bedroom, Neal's snoring loudly echoing in the room.

'Move over Sundance!' Peter said angrily as Neal muttered in his sleep.

WCWCWC

Sara Ellis regained consciousness after a restless night's sleep as the events of the previous night came flooding back. She reached out, her hand lightly scratching Raffie's belly as the dog moaned in appreciation. Sara had allowed him up onto the bed for a cuddle, something she would never consider doing when Neal was home, and he'd ended up spending the night curled up against her, a poor substitute for her husband's warm body. She shooed him off the bed and sat up, bleary eyed as she remembered Peter's late night call. She was glad Neal had someone to turn to at times like this and she was grateful, herself, for having Elizabeth as a sounding board. The Burkes had always been there for them from day one and Sara couldn't imagine a world in which their best friends weren't around to share the good times and the bad.

She kicked off the blankets and took stock of the situation; she had meetings and work to catch up on from her previous day off. She was anxious to see Neal with her own eyes and to start the long road to reconciliation but, for better or for worse, she knew he would need time to cool down and that he would let her know when he was good and ready to talk about the previous night's events.

She had to admit that, although she felt horrible about the way Neal had uncovered her deception, she had no regret about going to St. Louis and meeting Linda Bennett. It would take time but, somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she was convinced that there would be some sort of rapprochement between her husband and his mom. He was a loving, kind man and in time, she was confident she could make him see that a reunion would benefit both mother and son, finally laying to rest a very painful past for both of them.

WCWCWC

Friday was a workday but Neal was in no fit state to head out to the gallery – or to the school for that matter – at least not until he polished off a full pot of coffee and had the longest shower on record. He lay on the bed and listened as the Burkes prepared for their workday: successive showers followed by some muffled conversations before the house finally grew quiet and Neal knew it was safe to get up.

He'd had the strangest dream of Peter curling up against him, arms around his waist, grabbing all the blankets as he snored loudly in his ear; he shivered at the recollection and shook off the last remnants of sleep before slipping out of bed to use the bathroom. His head was pounding from his excesses of the previous night but his mind focussed instantly on what had brought him out to Brooklyn in the first place.

He recalled his offhand comment about letting Sara stew and realized just how juvenile he must have sounded to Peter – blame it on the scotch, he thought. He couldn't blame his wife for trying to do what she, in her own misguided way, thought was best for him. Hell, he'd done the same on so many occasions, thinking he knew better than she did what she really needed or wanted. It was the curse of being in love - always wanting what was best for your loved one, no matter what.

He took his time driving back to White Plains, hoping to avoid his wife for the time being. He was still hurting from what she'd done although the anger he'd felt the night before had slowly begun to fade to disappointment. He loved her and he always would but that didn't keep him from wanting to throttle her at times and he knew the ball was now in his court to start up the conversation and find some resolution to the situation. At least Sara had given him the space he needed and hadn't come looking for him the night before – thank God for small wonders.

As he'd hoped, the house was quiet when he arrived shortly after 10:00 – Sara was likely at work, Hope at the gallery and Liam at school. Raffie came running up to him, tail wagging, and Neal gave him a loving pat on the head – man's best friend and all that. He dragged his sorry ass to the kitchen and put on a pot of strong coffee and headed upstairs, stripping as he went.

By the time he hit the landing, he was ready for the blissful shower that he hoped would help dissolve the last of the cobwebs. The hot, steamy shower seemed to have the desired effect and by the time Neal finished dressing, he was feeling human again and he realized he couldn't leave things as they were. He needed to hear Sara out, let her say what she'd attempted to tell him the night before – although he couldn't imagine anything she could possibly say that would make him change his mind. Whatever she'd discovered about his mom was a smokescreen; Sara wasn't the one who'd been there all those years, making sure his mom didn't choke on her own vomit, cooking for her, making sure she had clean clothes to wear and getting himself to school every day. He recalled how his first forgery attempts had been her signature on his test papers and he hated her for checking out and leaving him feeling so vulnerable and defenceless.

Neal sat at the kitchen table, downing a cup of coffee, then a second, as his mind continued to clear. He worked as he sipped, going over some lesson plans on his laptop. He had a meeting with the staff of the art school scheduled for the following Monday and he wanted to get the agenda finalized and e-mailed to everyone by the end of the day.

He decided to work and wait. By the time Sara came home, maybe he'd finally be ready to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

WCWCWC

'Ms Thompson?' Caitlin said, sticking her head in the classroom.

Jo looked up, surprised to see her young charge at school so early in the morning. Classes didn't start for another half hour and yet, there was Caitlin, looking spry and ready to tackle the day.

'Caitlin! You're nice and early today!' she said with a bright smile.

'I was hoping I could talk to you before school starts' Caitlin said, stepping into the room.

'Of course! Come on in, have a seat' said the teacher, pleased to see that Caitlin was reaching out to her.

After her conversation with Neal the night before, she wasn't sure what state she'd find the teen in and despite her advice to Neal, she, herself, had had trouble sleeping as she worried about Caitlin and what kind of illicit activity she might be involved in.

'So, what brings you here?' the teacher asked, turning her attention to the young woman.

Caitlin's face grew dark and her eyes went to the floor, a look that was atypical for the usually cocky student.

'Something happened and I need your advice' she said meekly.

'Are you alright?' Jo asked, sensing the teen's obvious anguish.

Caitlin sniffled and shrugged, suddenly looking so innocent and vulnerable.

'I had a... an incident and I'm not sure what to do about it' Caitlin said.

'What kind of incident? Are you hurt?' Jo asked, suddenly concerned.

'Not exactly but... well, on Tuesday night I got invited over to Mr. Caffrey's house for dinner' she began, her eyes not leaving the floor.

Jo frowned; Neal hadn't said anything about that but it was just like him to reach out and welcome a wayward teen into his home.

'After dinner, Mr. Caffrey drove me home and...' Caitlin struggled with the rest of what she wanted to say.

Jo Thompson sat and listened, wondering where all this was going – surely _not_ the fleeting thought that had just crossed her mind.

'...he tried to ... to _touch_ me' Caitlin finally said, her eyes meeting her teacher's surprised face.

'Touch you? How?' she asked.

'You know...' Caitlin answered, looking embarrassed 'touch me...and he tried to kiss me.'

The young teacher listened carefully, trying to gauge Caitlin's sincerity. She didn't know Neal Caffrey all that well but she found it difficult to believe he was guilty of what the young girl was accusing him of. Nevertheless, such accusations had to be taken seriously and Caitlin was a vulnerable minor who needed protection.

'Are you sure you didn't misinterpret what happened?' she asked, trying to get to the bottom of the story.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. 'I'm not stupid' she said.

'Nobody's accusing you of being stupid Caitlin but sometimes we can misinterpret a person's gestures for something that they're not. Is that _possible_ in this case?'

Caitlin's look turned darker and her voice grew angry. 'What? You don't believe me?'

'Just tell me what happened...exactly' Jo said, encouraging her to continue.

'Well, we got to my house and... well, he pulled me closer and he put his hand on my... on my breast and he kissed me hard on the lips'

'A minute ago, you said he'd _tried_ to kiss you – did he or didn't he?' Jo Thompson asked, needing some clarification.

Caitlin stood, anger boiling over. 'I knew you wouldn't believe me.'

'Caitlin, wait!' the teacher said. 'If Mr. Caffrey did this, then you need to talk to the police about it. What you just described is very inappropriate behavior.'

She waited for a moment to see the young girl's reaction, suspecting that this was somehow tied to Neal's refusal to let her come to class the day before. But in the event that what Caitlin was describing was true, she had to act on it and report it to the police.

'Why did you wait until now to tell me?' the teacher asked, reaching out to touch Caitlin's arm.

Caitlin shrugged again, her bangs in her bright blue eyes as she looked down. 'I thought it was an isolated incident but yesterday, he tried to kiss me again when I went to art class.'

Jo listened, her mouth agape. 'Tell me exactly what happened yesterday.'

'Well, I was a few minutes late for class and Mr. Caffrey called me into his office. He closed the door and he pushed me up against the wall and he started to... well, feel me up.'

'Caitlin, these are very serious accusations. Teachers cannot behave that way and you need to report it immediately. Look, I'll go with you and you can put in a complaint with the police department.' Jo said, calling her bluff.

Caitlin suddenly seemed unsure and Jo Thompson watched her waver before she finally nodded.

'Okay' she said finally.

If what she'd said was true, it was imperative to give her the support she needed and help her through the process of a formal complaint. If she was lying, Jo wanted to be there to help her save face and come clean. One way or the other, she had no doubt that she had to remain by her student's side. She grabbed her bag and took Caitlin's arm as the two women headed out to the nearest police station.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Lunchtime in a noisy, bustling high school cafeteria was probably the last place on earth most people would want to be - although you couldn't tell that by looking at Liam Theodore Caffrey. He sat in front of his lunch, perfectly serene, taking in the comings and goings; of course, it helped that he was squeezed in nice and tight between Beth Sawyer from his math class and his new boyfriend, Cody Miller. Being close up, nice and personal with Cody always put a smile on Liam's face and he took a bite of his sandwich and nodded enthusiastically.

'Yeah' he said, his mouth full. 'It's next Saturday'

'Sure, I can make it' responded Cody. 'I can't wait to meet your family!'

'Well, my sister is picking me up after school today if you want to meet _her_ ' Liam added with a broad grin.

Cody nodded, returning his smile and Liam felt those all too familiar butterflies as he stared into the young man's deep brown eyes. Lately, being with Cody felt like the easiest thing in the world and Liam looked forward to spending a lot more time with him in the coming weeks.

'Hey, Caffrey?' they heard as Will Allenby called out to them over the loud buzz. 'Get your finger out of your butt; practice starts in less than ten minutes!'

Liam gave Cody a shrug and a smile and slipped away to join his best friend.

WCWCWC

Stan Wilkinson was a seasoned detective with the 49th precinct of the NYPD. He'd moved around a lot over his 30 years of service but he'd been at the Bronx precinct now for over 12 years and that's where he felt most at home. He was a front line detective with the sexual assault unit although he'd worked vice and homicide for most of his career. He and his partner, Maddie Rogers, just happened to be on duty Friday morning when Jo Thompson and Caitlin Somersby walked in off the street to file a complaint.

The two women were escorted into one of the interview rooms and were offered some coffee while they waited. Stan took a moment to observe them through the one way mirror, just to get a sense of the relationship between the two women, their body language, anything that might give him an edge as to their motivations when he finally sat down to talk to them. Accusations of a sexual nature were surprisingly common with teens; the complaints had to be treated thoroughly and by the book – after all, there was nothing more important than keeping vulnerable children safe from sexual predators. But, over the years, Stan had seen his fair share of false accusations and he knew all too well the stigma attached to those in authority who were falsely accused. Innocent until proven guilty was never more important than in these types of cases.

'What have we got?' he heard over his shoulder as his partner appeared.

'Complaint about a teacher' he responded without removing his gaze from the young girl who was looking terribly anxious as she squirmed in her chair.

He and Maddie had been working together for over two years and they'd developed a nice, easygoing relationship based on mutual respect - and an awful lot of good natured ribbing. Because of his sheer size, he could appear intimidating and the twosome used that to their advantage during their interrogations, making Maddie more of the 'good cop' whenever necessary. This was ironic considering the fact that Stan was the sweetest teddy bear you could ever imagine while Maddie Rogers was anything but. She was one tough cookie but she could play to the victims and the alleged perps as if she was their best friend – helping to get some important insights during often complicated cases.

'I'll go in first' he said as he prepared to enter the interview room.

His appearance had the desired effect and Maddie watched through the glass for a moment as the women stared up at him upon his arrival, looking thoroughly impressed by the sheer size of the man. Caitlin watched as the tall strapping man stepped in, looking like someone from one of those X-men movies – all 6 foot 5 and 350 pounds of him. He was agile for his size and he ambled over to the far side of the table, hooking his leg over the chair and facing the two women as he smiled at them.

'Good morning ladies. I'm Detective Wilkinson; we're just waiting on my partner' he said as he sat across from them, observing their reactions.

Within seconds, the door opened again and in walked a smiling Maddie Rogers, clad in jeans and a t-shirt with her NYPD badge hanging around her neck.

'Hi' she said with a smile directed at Caitlin. 'My name is Maddie. I work with Detective Wilkinson with the sexual assault division.'

Caitlin's eyes moved from the table to the floor, clearly uncomfortable with being in this setting; unfortunately, she'd been in police stations before on a couple of occasions although _this_ time, she was the accuser, not the accused.

'I understand you'd like to report an incident' the young woman said kindly.

Jo sat there, holding Caitlin's hand. As the teacher of a minor who was a ward of the state, she was responsible for seeing to her welfare and she took that role seriously. Although she was reserving judgement as to the veracity of the accusations Caitlin had leveled against Neal Caffrey, she had to give the teenager the benefit of the doubt – at least for the time being.

Caitlin nodded shyly, her eyes shifty as the woman smiled at her, trying to make her feel safe.

'We're here to help you Caitlin. Your job is to just tell the truth – everything that happened – and our job is to look into things and make sure you're safe' Maddie added.

Caitlin just stared ahead, clearly intimidated.

'Now, start at the beginning – and take your time' said the woman as she leaned in.

Her partner was poised with a pen and pad and Jo noticed a tape recorder on the table, ostensibly recording every word that was spoken in the room. She was most anxious to hear the story a second time, wanting to see if the details Caitlin was about to give matched up against what she'd confided to her earlier. The teen had already flip-flopped on some of the details of the alleged incidents and Jo needed to hear for herself what Caitlin would say.

'I take an art class after school on Mondays and Thursdays' the teenager began.

'What art school do you go to?' asked the big guy.

'The June Ellington School of Art over on Prentiss Street' Jo said as the man put his hand out to stop her.

'Ma'am. It's important that Caitlin tells us herself. This is _her_ statement' he reminded her.

Jo nodded apologetically and the man smiled curtly at her.

'What she said' Caitlin answered as Maddie nodded.

'The director of the school, Mr. Caffrey, he teaches on Monday nights' Caitlin added.

'And this...Mr. Caffrey, he's the one you want to lodge a complaint against?' asked the young woman.

Caitlin nodded and was urged to speak audibly which she did. 'Yes' she said.

'How long have you been taking classes at the school?' asked Maddie Rogers.

'Since it opened... last November, I guess' Caitlin explained.

'And you've know Mr. Caffrey since then?' asked Wilkinson, pen poised.

'Yes' she said, her voice quiet.

'So, tell us what happened Caitlin' said the woman.

'Well, Mr. Caffrey invited me over to his house for dinner on Tuesday night' Caitlin recounted.

'Who was there... at his house?' the man asked.

'Him, his wife... and his two kids, oh and their dog' Caitlin responded, trying to appear earnest.

The detectives nodded, encouraging her to go on.

'Had Mr. Caffrey ever made any advances to you before that night?' asked Maddie.

Caitlin thought for a moment, unsure how her answer might impact the web of lies she was spinning.

'He's always friendly, you know, smiling a lot, winking, stuff like that' she said.

'Any inappropriate touching?' asked the lady detective.

'Not until Tuesday night. After dinner, he offered to drive me home' Caitlin said.

'What happened when he drove you home?' asked the big guy.

'We talked about things, art class, this piece I was working on. He was... ' Caitlin swallowed before going on '...rubbing my hand while he drove and he said he liked being with me' she added, looking over at Jo to see her reaction.

'And what happened when you got to your house?' Maddie asked.

'He stopped the car and he leaned in and... he said he thought I was very pretty and that he liked spending time with me. He got closer and... he touched me...' she let her voice trail.

' _Where_ exactly did he touch you, Caitlin?' asked the female detective.

Jo watched carefully as Caitlin brought her hand timidly to point to her left breast.

'He touched your _left_ breast?' asked Maddie.

The teen nodded in response before the man pointed to the tape recorder.

'Yes... my left breast' confirmed Caitlin.

'And what did _you_ do?' the older man asked.

'I was kind of shocked, I just sat there for a minute not sure what to do... And then he looked at me all lovey dovey like and... he smiled and kissed me on the lips' she said, her eyes down on the table.

'And this kiss, how long did it last?' asked the woman detective.

'I don't know, I didn't _time_ it' she said her voice full of petulance 'A few seconds, I suppose' she finally said.

'Then what happened?' she asked.

'Nothing. I got out of the car and I went into the house' Caitlin explained.

The man dutifully jotted down the details in his notebook.

'Why didn't you report this incident right after it happened?' he asked, his eyes moving to study the teen.

Reporting an incident of a sexual nature against a person in authority was not an easy thing to do for a victim and the detective made certain his voice didn't sound accusatory, just asking for some clarification.

'I don't know. I guess I thought it was the end of it but then, it happened again yesterday' Caitlin said, not meeting their eyes.

'What happened yesterday?' asked the woman.

'I went to art class and I was a few minutes late. Mr. Caffrey stopped me in the hall and he asked me to come into his office' she said, conveniently leaving out the fact that she'd been high at the time.

The detectives nodded, asking her silently to continue.

'He said he... missed me and he closed the door and pushed me up against it and he kissed me really hard on the mouth' she said as Jo watched, visibly upset.

'Then what?' asked the lady detective.

'He... pushed my legs open with his knee and he... his hand moved down my stomach and down between my legs' she said, her voice shaking. 'I told him I didn't want him to do that and he just laughed and kept... touching me' she said.

'Was anyone else there? At the school?' asked the burly man.

Caitlin shrugged. 'After a few minutes, one of the teachers came to the door and Mr. Caffrey stopped touching me'

'So someone interrupted you?' asked Maddie.

Caitlin hesitated then nodded. She wasn't sure if her lies would hold up if the detectives checked things out with Janelle O'Neill, who'd been the one to usher her out of the building.

'And that was the last time you saw Mr. Caffrey?' asked the young woman.

Caitlin nodded. 'Yes' she said.

'Alright honey. You did great' said the female detective, patting her hand. 'Is there anything else you want to tell us?'

Caitlin shook her head. 'What's going to happen to Mr. Caffrey?' she asked, suddenly realizing the impact her story might have on her beloved teacher.

'Well, that depends on our investigation. We'll interview him and anybody else who might have any information and then we'll decide if we have enough evidence to charge him with anything' said the big, strapping detective. 'But in the meantime, don't go to the school and wait for us to finish our investigation before having any contact with him. Okay?'

Jo Thompson could see that Caitlin was shaking and she put a reassuring arm around her student to comfort her. Her mind was reeling at the story she'd just heard and yet, her gut was screaming that it was all a big fat lie.

WCWCWC

Sara couldn't take it anymore. She'd been trying for the last hour to finish up a report although her eyes kept sweeping back and forth over the same damn paragraph, the words becoming a blur. Unable to concentrate any longer, she decided she'd had enough. She packed up her stuff, electing to bring some work home for the weekend rather than sit there at her desk any longer, feeling unfocussed and unproductive. Her mind returned to Neal and the fact that she hadn't heard from him since the night before. She didn't even know if he'd made it home safely, what his plans were for the rest of the day and if he'd planned on shacking up at the Burke Hotel for a second night in a row.

She texted him for a third time and hoped that this time, he'd respond. Silence was the worst during an argument; at least when you were being yelled at by the one you loved, you knew he still cared about you.

WCWCWC

'Take a look at this' Maddie called out to Stan as she sat in front of her computer screen.

'That's our alleged perp?' he asked, looking at Neal's smiling face on the screen.

It was a photograph taken at the opening of the June Ellington School of Art the year before. Neal was surrounded by a group of people; he had his arm around a red head and there were two younger kids on either side of them who were probably his children.

'Good looking dude' he said with an exaggerated leer. Maddie gave him an obligatory eye roll.

She reached out to open a second website which Stan recognized as the FBI site, complete with headlines and current news.

'Check _this_ out' she said as a page came up with a younger looking Neal in a mug shot.

'This guy was some infamous forger' Maddie said 'Back more than twenty five years ago.'

'Oh yeah? What did he forge?' Stan asked as he began to read what was on the screen.

'He served time for bond forgery but he's been squeaky clean for over twenty five years. He worked for awhile as a confidential informant for the FBI' Maddie explained.

Stan smirked; everybody had a story and it sounded like this guy had lived an interesting life.

'Well, no bearing on the current case. Being a former forger doesn't make you a sexual predator' he said as Maddie nodded in agreement.

'What about our accuser?' he asked as his partner moved to open another page.

'She's been in foster care since the age of five, brought in a couple of times over the past year for breaking and entering; your typical messed up teen' answered Maddie Rogers.

'Ah, but is she messed up enough to make false accusations against a teacher?' asked Stan Wilkinson rhetorically.

'That _is_ the question' Maddie agreed. 'Let's pay this guy a visit' she said, rising and grabbing her jacket.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Despite having difficulty concentrating, Neal had somehow managed to get a fair bit of work done throughout the morning and by lunchtime, he was feeling a lot more settled. He'd begun to think about ways he and Sara could reconnect and start working through their disagreement when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket with Sara's third text in the past hour.

' _Are you alright?'_ she asked.

He took a deep breath and realized it did absolutely no good for Sara to be worrying about him needlessly. He was still pissed off at her but that was no reason to act like a spoiled brat; if the roles had been reversed, he'd want to know that she was okay.

' _I'm fine_. _We'll talk later'_ he responded. At least, she'd know he was still alive.

He stuck the phone back in his pocket and had just decided to make himself a bite to eat when he heard a knock at the front door. He made his way to the front of the house, noticing a police cruiser parked out front, certainly not a usual occurrence in their quiet neighborhood.

'Can I help you?' he asked of the man and woman who stood on the stoop, looking very official.

'We're looking for Neal Caffrey' said the woman as they both flashed their badges.

Neal nodded. 'Did something happen to one of my kids?' he asked with alarm.

'No sir, nothing like that' said the big, burly male detective.

'I'm Detective Wilkinson and this is Detective Rogers. We're with the 49th precinct in the Bronx. Can we come in?' he asked.

Neal let out a momentary sigh of relief and backed away, giving them access to the front hall and inviting them in to sit in the nearby living room.

'What's this all about?' he asked as he took a seat across from them; he hadn't the slightest idea why two NYPD detectives had shown up on his doorstep at noon on a Friday, unless of course Caitlin was at it again.

'Sir' Wilkinson began 'We received a complaint this morning from Miss Caitlin Somersby'

'A complaint?' Neal echoed, confused.

'She alleges you had inappropriate contact with her earlier this week' said the young woman as Detective Wilkinson examined Neal's reaction.

'What... kind of contact?' Neal asked, beginning to fear the worst.

'Sir, she alleges you touched her inappropriately on two separate occasions' the woman added.

'What? No, that's ridiculous' Neal said, obviously in shock.

'Mr. Caffrey, we need to ask you some questions about your relationship with Ms. Somersby. Now, we can do it here, right now or we can do it down at the station, if you prefer'

Neal began computing what was going on; he couldn't believe Caitlin could be angry or spiteful enough to accuse him of something so hideous.

'Do I need a lawyer?' he asked, his eyes narrowing.

'Sir, that's up to you' said the young woman. 'We're simply gathering information at this point but anything you say in response to our inquiries goes on record as part of our investigation.'

Neal nodded in agreement and looked back at the two detectives.

'Alright. Go ahead. I'll tell you everything I know' he said.

'Sir, can you tell us about your relationship with Ms Somersby' Maddie Rogers said, voice calm.

She had a kind face and Neal felt strangely comfortable talking to her; perhaps it was the fact that he had absolutely nothing to hide. He took a deep breath, trying to get his brain to fully cooperate.

'Caitlin came to the school... the June Ellington School of Art, I'm the director there... she came to us, I think in the fall, well, before Christmas last year, anyway. She's a terrific sculptor and... well, her teacher recommended her for some of our art classes.'

'What teacher is that?' asked Wilkinson.

'Jo Thompson... she's one of Caitlin's teachers at Thornhill High and she saw that Caitlin had a real talent for sculpting and she thought it would help keep her out of trouble'

'Was Caitlin _in_ any trouble?' Wilkinson asked, playing innocent.

'She's had a... rough time, you know... she's...she's a ward of the state and she's been in the system since she was little and... well, she's had a couple of brushes with the law over the last little while' Neal said, his voice wistful.

The detectives just listened and waited for Neal to continue.

'We have quite a few kids who have issues – you know, academically or socially. We work closely with the schools so they can... have some measure of success in their lives. Sometimes, it's tougher than others...'

'So, what kind of relationship do you have with Caitlin, in particular?' asked the man.

'Hum. She's one of the students. I teach a class on Mondays and she's in that class and... well, I just... I think she's really talented and I'd hate to see her throw her life away' Neal responded.

'Caitlin says you had her over for dinner this week. Is that true?' asked Maddie Rogers.

Neal nodded. 'Yeah, hum, Tuesday night'

'Do you make it a habit of having students over to your home?' Detective Wilkinson asked.

Suddenly, Neal's gesture seemed inappropriate and he wanted to kick himself for putting himself in such a vulnerable position.

'No, I've never done it before but... Caitlin was arrested last week and I had to bail her out' he began, feeling like he was telling tales out of school. 'I just thought it would be good for her to... you know, see a typical family... see how people behave around one another and... and my daughter is home from university for the summer and I thought they could get to know each other. I thought Hope, that's my daughter, Hope... that she might be a good influence on Caitlin.'

The detectives nodded and Neal wondered what they were really thinking; did he sound like some weird pedophile for inviting a student into his home.

'We were all here, my wife, Sara, my two kids and we... just had a really nice dinner. But my son had a basketball game at 7:30 and we invited Caitlin to come along but she said she needed to get some homework done so...' Neal hesitated before going on.

The detectives exchanged looks as Neal stopped talking.

'You know, I didn't think anything of it at the time but once I got in the car I realized I should have asked my daughter to come along. I didn't feel right about being alone in the car with her... and then when she... oh my God, I can't believe she did this...' he said, running his hand through his hair.

'Mr. Caffrey, take your time. Just be as precise as possible' said the woman.

Neal looked from one to the other and let out a sardonic laugh.

'You know, the weird thing is I told my wife when I got back that I had a weird feeling about what had happened in the car' he said.

'What _did_ happen?' asked the lady detective.

He let out a long slow breath. 'On the way there, it was fine. We chatted about this piece she's working on that's really... well, whatever... but nothing much else... dinner, the fact that Hope was going to be taking over the Thursday night class ... anyway, when we got there, I stopped the car and waited for her to get out and she leaned over and kissed my cheek. Normally, I wouldn't think twice about it – if she sees me as a father figure, maybe I can have a positive influence in her life but... the kiss, it was 'off' and that night, I told my wife that it didn't feel right'

'What do you mean, not right?' asked Wilkinson.

'It was just a little too... intimate, I guess and she gave me one of those longing looks... look, I don't want to sound like some narcissist here, but I've seen women looking at me like that my whole life. I taught a class at NYU a couple of years ago, and there were always those 'hangers on' – those girls who sat in the front row and just stared at me with the moon in their eyes... okay, now I sound like a total weirdo.' he said, suddenly uncomfortable.

Maddie Rogers smiled politely; there was no denying this was one fine specimen of a man, not that she played for that team but still, she could appreciate a handsome man as much as the next person. She had an inkling that he was right – he'd probably always had women fawning over him, especially young, impressionable girls. The important thing was how he reacted to those girls and their inappropriate overtures.

'So what did you do?' she asked.

'I just pulled away. She totally blindsided me... I said goodnight and she got out of the car and... that was the end of it' he said.

He looked from one detective to the other, wondering what they might be thinking of him. 'What is it exactly she's accusing me of?' he finally asked.

'Mr. Caffrey, we're not here to arrest you. If it should come to that, you will be fully informed of what you're being charged with... but we're not there yet so...' said Wilkinson.

'Ms Somersby alleges that there was another incident yesterday afternoon at the school' he added.

Neal looked at him with a frown; he had no idea what the detective was referring to. He shrugged.

'Did you see Caitlin yesterday?' asked Maddie Rogers.

'Yes, she came in to the school at around 3:50' Neal said.

'You sound pretty sure of the time' Wilkinson remarked.

'Yeah, I checked my watch. Class starts at 3:30 and we have a strict rule about kids arriving late – if they're late, they don't get into class. It's part of our 'tough love' approach, having them learn some discipline... some of these kids are always looking for ways to skirt the rules.' He thought momentarily of how he'd spent several years of his life bending rules – before he started outright breaking them, that is.

'I saw her hurry past my office and I got up and noticed her down the hall trying to sneak into class' he said.

'So, what did you do?' asked Rogers.

'I called her back and I stood in the doorway to my office and waited for her. I wanted to see her walk towards me because I suspected she might be high' Neal hesitated about how much to give away; Caitlin was a vulnerable girl and revealing that she was doing drugs didn't put her in a very good light. He thought better of it; this was no time to protect her – after all, she was doing a good job of accusing him of something he hadn't done and he had to defend himself from her dangerous lies.

'As she was walking back, I noticed she was unsteady and it was obvious she was high' he said. 'We stood in the doorway of my office for a moment and she denied being stoned. I reminded her that she couldn't be at the school in that state and I asked her to leave'

'And this happened in your office?' asked Wilkinson.

'No, in the doorway, we never went _into_ the office' Neal said.

'What happened after that?'

'Well, she looked at me with a goofy smile and she began to run her hand up my chest. She said something about me making an exception for her and she called me by my first name.'

'And what did _you_ do?' Maddie Rogers asked.

'I moved away and I reminded her that she needed to call me Mr. Caffrey and I told her that I would _not_ make any exceptions. I remember raising my voice; I was angry at her for behaving that way.'

'And at any time, did you go into your office with her?' asked Wilkinson.

'No' Neal said, a little louder. He knew better than to be behind closed doors alone with a student.

'Was anyone else in the hallway at the time?' Rogers asked.

Neal hesitated as he tried to recall if anyone else was around. 'I didn't notice... at one point, I saw one of my teachers coming down the hall, Janelle O'Neill, and I asked her to escort Caitlin out of the building; I didn't want to be with Caitlin any longer – frankly, I was really concerned about her behavior and I didn't want to put myself in that kind of situation.'

'Was anybody else around while you were having that exchange?' asked Wilkinson, pen poised.

'I don't know... maybe, I really don't remember' Neal admitted.

'What about other staff, a cleaner maybe –' Maddie Rogers asked, hoping to jog his memory.

'Hum, maybe, maybe Ernie was there... he's our cleaner and he's usually doing the hallways at around that time but I... frankly, I don't remember seeing him there.'

The two detectives looked at each other and Neal tried to read into their looks but they were good at their job and he couldn't tell what they were thinking.

'Well, I think we have all we need for now. Mr. Caffrey, please don't have any contact with Caitlin Somersby and don't speak to anyone at the school about this until we finish our investigation. We'll be making our own inquiries' Wilkinson advised him.

Neal nodded and for the first time, he noticed his hands were shaking as he stood to walk the detectives to the door.

Without tipping their hand, they exited, informing Neal that he'd be kept in the loop and thanking him for his time.

Neal stood there, frozen, feeling like some dirty old man although, except for his poor judgement in driving Caitlin home, he hadn't done anything he regretted. There was a fleeting movement by the door and it opened to reveal Sara, standing there mere seconds after the detectives had left.

'Neal?' she said, seeing him standing there, shell shocked.

He was still glued to the same spot in the front hall, not having moved an inch since he'd walked the detectives to the door.

'What's going on?' she said. 'I just saw a police cruiser leave...'

Suddenly, the sight of his wife standing there was incredibly reassuring and Neal realized he needed to know he wasn't alone. He looked right into those comforting eyes, feeling so vulnerable; their spat momentarily forgotten.

'Come here' he said, his voice shaking, barely a whisper.

He opened his arms without saying another word while Sara took the last few steps towards him. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair, holding her so tightly that she gasped at the sheer force of his embrace. She held on tight, feeling him trembling in her arms.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Sara could hear Neal's ragged breathing, loud yet shallow and she began to imagine the worst.

'Neal, you're scaring me' she managed to say as he practically squeezed the breath out of her. 'What's going on? Did something happen to one of the kids?'

Her voice brought him back to the present and he gently let go of her and took a step back, his face still shocked at what had just transpired.

'No, no, it's not the kids' he said, his voice low, as he slowly walked back to the kitchen in a daze. He still couldn't quite believe what had just happened. He was concerned about what such accusations could do to his reputation but even more than that, he was worried about Caitlin's state of mind and what would motivate her to do such a spiteful thing.

The couple sat down facing each other at the table, momentarily setting aside their cold war and Neal looked up into his wife's warm, comforting eyes.

'Caitlin went to the police and accused me of sexually assaulting her' he said, not believing the words he spoke.

Sara stared at him in disbelief as she tried to make sense of what he'd just said. It was the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard and yet, in that moment, she realized that it was just a question of time before someone as trusting as Neal was accused of abusing his authority.

'That little bitch!' she said in true Sara Ellis style as Neal gave her a disapproving look.

'She's a lonely, confused kid, Sara' he said with compassion.

'How can you be so understanding? She could ruin your reputation with these false accusations!' Sara said, her voice angry.

Neal's eyes remained unfocussed, still reeling from the shock. He had to refrain from doing anything stupid although his initial instinct was to run out and find Caitlin to try to get to the root of her hurtful lies.

He shook the notion away and glanced up at Sara who'd reached out to take his hand. He gave her a small smile, realizing that, whatever was going on between them, he was relieved to have her on his side.

WCWCWC

'So, what do you think?' asked Maddie Rogers as they drove out of the quiet Westchester neighborhood.

'I believe him; he looked like he'd been totally blindsided' Stan Wilkinson said.

'You always fall for the good looking dudes' she said jokingly as the senior detective rolled his eyes at her.

'Call it instinct' he said. 'But we do need to check out some leads at the school before we can draw any conclusions.'

He seemed to be ruminating something and suddenly he pulled the squad car over in front of a fast food place, turning to face his partner. Something had been nagging at him ever since the earlier interview with Caitlin Somersby.

'Say, we're sitting in a car and I decide to come on to you' he said.

She laughed. 'I'd like to see you try!'

He shook his head at her weird sense of humor.

'So, I turn towards you and I decide I'm going to grab one of your boobs' he continued.

She looked at him with a frown; where the hell was he going with this? She was used to her partner zeroing in on some minute details during questioning – more often than not, his 'haha' moments led to solving cases, so she played along.

'Alright, so you decide you want to cheat on Rhonda after 27 years of marriage and make a grab for your gay partner's tits' she said in jest.

He rolled his eyes a second time and turned towards her, lifting his left hand and ghosting it against the front of her body as if he was going to cop a feel.

Suddenly, the light went on and Maddie spoke up. 'She said he'd grabbed her _left_ breast'

'Yeah' said Stan 'And when I asked her again, she _repeated_ it was her left breast. There's no way I would twist around like that and bypass your right breast to zero in on your left side... I would have to totally contort my body to grab for your left breast from this position.'

'Unless she just made a mistake' Maddie said as her eyes roamed to the burger place they'd stopped in front of. She was starting to salivate at the thought of a double cheeseburger and a stack of rings.

'It's possible, I guess. It just didn't sit right when she said it though – as if once she'd said that it was her left breast, she felt she had to commit to it' Stan said, staring into space.

'Well, Columbo. How about we eat first and then visit the school and see if we can get some objective witnesses to help us figure this out' she said as she opened the car door.

'Oh, and try that shit on me again' she added, deadpan 'and I'll report you to Internal Affairs.'

WCWCWC

'How do you feel, sweetie?' Jo asked as they sat in front of vanilla shakes and cheeseburgers.

After the interview at the police station, Jo hadn't wanted to leave Caitlin on her own. The teen was obviously upset although her teacher was still unsure whether she was distressed about the alleged incident or if she was regretting telling lies about a man who'd been nothing but kind to her.

Caitlin shrugged in response to Jo's question and took another sip of her milkshake.

'I should take you back home and we can sit and talk to your foster parents. They should know what's going on' Jo said, her voice kind.

'No. I don't want to tell them' Caitlin said, her voice adamant.

'Honey, you live in their house. They need to know what's going on.'

Caitlin became quiet and Jo could see the wheels turning in the confused teenager's mind.

'So, what's going to happen to Mr. Caffrey now?' she asked for the second time.

'I'm not sure exactly but the police will talk to him and they might visit the school and see if anyone can corroborate your story –' Jo began before being interrupted.

Caitlin's eyes grew dark again. 'It's not a _story_ ' she said angrily.

She grew quiet again, returning to her earlier concern.

'Will he go to jail?' she continued, her voice growing softer.

Jo Thompson, shook her head.

'I don't know, Caitlin but you've done what _you_ needed to do, now just let the police do their job' Jo added, reaching out to touch her student's hand.

She hated this, absolutely hated it. Not knowing what was what. She hoped the investigation would be quick and that the truth was uncovered so she could stop having doubts... about Caitlin or about Neal.

WCWCWC

The June Ellington School of Art was quiet on a Friday afternoon at two o'clock. There were no classes on Fridays and Neal and Cindy usually used the time to catch up on paperwork while some of the teachers prepared their materials for their Saturday classes.

The first person Maddie Rogers and Stan Wilkinson ran into when they walked in the door was an older man, with leathery dark skin and kind eyes. Judging by the fact that he was standing there with a mop in his hands, they figured he might be the janitor – after all, they _were_ seasoned detectives and nothing got past them!

'Are you... Ernie?' he asked as he checked his notes.

'At your service' said the older man with a twinkle in his eye.

'Ah' said Maddie, flashing her badge 'Just the man we want to see.'

She thought she saw a fleeting nervous reaction on the man's face and his smile faded. She wondered in passing if the man might have previously had dealings with law enforcement.

'Can we sit and talk?' asked Wilkinson as the man led them to a nearby classroom.

The room was a studio with easels all around and an open space in the middle. It was well lit and beautifully appointed and Maddie observed that she would have loved to have a place like this to go to when she was growing up.

'Mr...?' Stan asked.

'Nugent' Ernie answered politely.

'Mr. Nugent' he repeated. We'd like to talk to you about an incident that happened here yesterday.'

Ernie listened nervously. He'd been on the straight and narrow ever since Neal had taken a chance on him and hired him to clean the gallery a little over two years before – he hoped he wasn't being accused of something.

'Do you know Caitlin Somersby?' asked Maddie.

'Sure, I know most of the students here – although Caitlin... well you can't help but notice Caitlin' the man said.

Maddie Rogers' eyes narrowed at the comment. 'What do you mean?'

'Ah, she's a handful. Keeps getting into trouble but Neal... Neal Caffrey, he's the school's director, well... he keeps giving her another chance. If she was _my_ daughter...' he began, stopping mid-sentence. He was anxious and he always over shared when he got nervous.

'Did you see Caitlin yesterday? Thursday?' the male detective asked.

'Yeah, I saw her. She came traipsing in after classes had started. But Neal has a strict policy about that; says it builds character' he said, his smile returning.

'So where did you see her?' asked Stan.

'Well, I was cleaning the hallway in front of the offices and she snuck in – as if we wouldn't see her. What does she think – that she has an invisibility cloak or something... Anyway, I saw her sneak in and then Neal stepped out of his office and spotted her and he called her back'

'What happened then?' Wilkinson asked; he wasn't sure why, but he was liking this guy.

'Well, she came strolling back, acting all coy, ready to sweet talk him into letting her go to class. But Neal's no fool, he spotted it right away'

'Spotted what?' asked Maddie.

'That she was higher than a kite. No drugs allowed here – that's another one of Neal's rules' he added with a wink.

'So, what happened next?' asked Stan Wilkinson.

'Well, I was supposed to be cleaning but I could hear everything they were saying. He said she couldn't be there because she was high and Caitlin argued that she wasn't. And then, she got all dewey-eyed and I saw her run her hands up his chest and she whispered something real low that I didn't quite hear but I could tell she was trying to sweet talk him...'

'What did Mr. Caffrey do?' asked Maddie.

'Well, he's no fool; he moved away from her and his voice got louder; I heard him say that she needed to call him 'Mr. Caffrey' so I assumed she must have called him by his first name or said something inappropriate' he continued.

'Then what?' asked Stan, madly taking notes as the older gentleman spoke.

'Oh, that's when Janelle O'Neill came along – she's one of our teachers – and Neal called her over and asked her to escort Caitlin out of the building' said Ernie Nugent.

'Did Caitlin leave then?' asked Stan.

'Hell, yes. Nobody fools around with what Neal says – his word is the law around here' he said proudly.

'So you didn't see Caitlin again?' Maddie asked.

'No, Neal went back into his office and kept working and that was the end of it.'

'And Mr. Caffrey and Caitlin didn't go into the office at any time, or close the door?' asked Maddie.

'Hell, no. Neal knows better than that. I keep telling him 'Neal, be careful with those young girls.' Some of them can't keep their eyes off of him – but he always shrugs it off and carries on with his job. I hope Caitlin isn't causing any trouble for him. He's been nothing but good to that kid' Ernie added.

The pair of detectives thanked him and asked if Janelle O'Neill was around but their luck had run out. The woman wasn't working that day. They got her personal information from the secretary in the front hall and prepared to leave.

'Wow! Check out that mural!' Maddie said as they prepared to leave. She had an appreciation for art and whoever had painted that giant mural in the lobby was a very talented artist indeed.

'Hey! Picasso!' Wilkinson called out from the door, nodding out to the street.

'Yeah, yeah, hold your horses' she responded.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Neal drove in silence, replaying his latest encounter with Caitlin over and over again in his muddled mind, wondering if there was _anything_ in his demeanor that could have possibly been misconstrued by the student as a come on. He recalled her hardened face as she'd been pulled away by Janelle O'Neill and her words kept playing in a loop in his bewildered mind: 'You'll regret this, Neal!'

He hadn't shared Caitlin's parting words with the police. He thought it sounded too 'convenient' and he was concerned that the officers might think he was making up such a direct, explicit warning. Now, he wondered how he could have been so naive as to believe she _wouldn't_ act on her threat – after all, she was hurt and angry... and more importantly, she was a confused and tortured soul. He thought back to the times in his life when he'd felt that way, so angry at the world that he wanted to lash out. Of course, as a pacifist, Neal's way of lashing out had been to give the world the giant finger by conning unsuspecting marks and boldly rebelling against society's established rules.

He thought back to Sara's reaction and her unwavering support; she never had any doubts when it came to her husband and for that, he was eternally grateful. So far, the couple had managed to avoid their hot button issue although he knew they would have to face it sooner or later; his mind just couldn't handle that discussion at the moment and after a while, he'd decided to head out and put some distance between himself and his wife, unable to get past what she'd done – at least for the time being. Popping into his beloved gallery was just what he needed to take his mind off things. The car was already loaded up with some of the artwork he'd been wanting to take over from the school and now seemed like as good a time as any to take it over there and prepare it for display. Peter would be there as well as Hope and Cam and the distraction would do him good.

Parking in the Chelsea district was a bitch and Neal had to find a spot a few blocks over from the gallery - considering Peter's BMW was parked in the only available parking spot they had. He walked the three blocks up West 27th towards the Raphael, arms laden with artwork, his mind still a blur.

'Hey Neal!' he heard as he got closer to his destination.

He smiled back at Jack Patterson, the owner of Jack's Café, one of the gallery's neighbors and the man who concocted the best espresso Neal had ever tasted.

'Beautiful day, huh?' the man added as he fiddled with the sandwich board in front of his establishment.

'Sure is' Neal said as he got closer, struggling to open the door to the Raphaël while juggling an armful of paintings.

The comforting sound of the bell echoed through the gallery as Cam's eyes looked up to see who had entered.

'Mr. Caffrey!' he said as he rose to help him 'Let me give you a hand with those.'

He relieved Neal of the art work and carried it out to the back room as Neal made his way to where Peter worked diligently at the small desk in the corner of the main floor.

'Hey Sundance! Didn't expect to see _you_ today' he said, repeating the nickname he'd used the night before.

Neal frowned as a hazy memory came flooding back.

'You didn't sleep in the guest room next to me last night, did you?' Neal asked, his eyes narrowing.

Peter frowned in response. His little hissy fit from the night before had cost him a good night's sleep in his own bed and he and El had finally made peace over her involvement in the Caffrey marriage as they'd discussed things over breakfast.

'So what's up? What brings you here on a Friday afternoon?' Peter repeated, ignoring Neal's query.

Neal's face darkened and Peter spotted the telltale signs immediately: his non committal shrug, his half-smile, Neal's eyes avoiding his – all signs the ex-con was trying to hide something.

'Cam!' Peter called out as the young man popped his head out from the back room 'Neal and I are going next door for coffee'

'Dad? What are you doing here?' Hope's asked as she appeared from the second floor staircase.

'Hey sweet pea!' Neal said, plastering on his best Caffrey smile as she walked over to hug him.

'Have you seen Mom?' she asked, code for ' _Did_ _you two make up yet?'_

Neal smiled, his arm around his daughter 'Don't worry, it's all good' he lied as he kissed the top of her head.

'I parked the car over at the corner of 7th. Can one of you go and get the rest of the stuff?' he continued, craftily changing the subject.

But crafty only worked with those who didn't _really_ know Neal Caffrey and Hope just looked up at her dad and shook her head.

WCWCWC

The dynamic duo drove up the nice quiet street in the Bronx, looking for the address they'd managed to get for Janelle O'Neill. It was a quaint residential street with well appointed gardens in front of small row houses – a neighborhood not too far from where Stan Wilkinson lived with his wife and their four kids. The house at 47 Willow was tucked in between two others but had the prettiest garden on the street, bar none. The detectives could see a woman with a large brimmed sunhat tending lovingly to her lush garden, despite the fact that it was still very early in the gardening season.

The woman, looked up, curious, as she noticed the police car stopping right in front of her house and she squinted in the sun as she noticed the twosome walking up towards her.

'Hi' Maddie Rogers said 'We're looking for Janelle O'Neill.'

'Well, you found her' said the woman as she put down her trowel and removed her gardening gloves.

'That's quite the little garden you've got there; must take a lot of work' Stan Wilkinson said, admiring the early spring variety of daffodils and tulips.

'It's not _work_ if you enjoy it' said the woman with a smile. 'What can I do for you?'

'Ma'am, we're investigating an incident that happened at the June Ellington School of Art yesterday' said Maddie, flashing her badge.

'Incident? That sounds ominous' answered Janelle as she sat on the steps in front of her modest home, taking a load off her feet.

She was no spring chicken, a retired school teacher who was now doing what she'd wanted to do her whole life: gardening and teaching art to wayward kids.

'We understand you teach art classes there' Maddie said as she watched the woman's face light up.

'I do! Great school! Neal's vision is amazing and I was really excited when he offered me a position there' she said with a smile.

'How long have you worked there?' asked Stan, intrigued. It appeared this woman was another card-carrying member of the Neal Caffrey fan club.

'Only since January. I teach painting – acrylic, watercolor mostly' she responded.

'Do you know Caitlin Somersby?' Stan asked.

She laughed wryly. 'Who doesn't? She's hell on wheels, that one' Janelle responded.

'Is she in any of your classes?' Maddie asked.

'No. Caitlin's into sculpture – and she's amazing... if she could only get her act together, she could have a really bright future.'

'So, how do you know her?' Stan asked.

'We know all the kids. We talk about each and every one of them at our weekly staff meetings. Neal has each of the kids on an individual program plan with goals and objectives so that we're all on the same page when it comes to working with them. Some of these kids are pretty messed up and consistency is important if you want to get results.'

'Sounds like you're a big fan of the school' Stan remarked.

'Are you kidding? I've been searching my whole life for an environment like this to work in. Art is like a key – it opens up your heart and your soul to what's real and for some of these kids, it's the only good thing they've got in their lives. I think Neal's vision is right on and I love working with him. He's an amazing guy and he cares about each and every one of those kids.'

Maddie and Stan exchanged looks. It seemed like this guy could do no wrong.

'Including Caitlin Somersby?' Maddie asked.

'Especially Caitlin Somersby – the more messed up the kid, the more invested Neal gets. And that girl is plenty messed up, if you ask me.'

'Did you see her at the school yesterday?' Stan asked.

'Yeah, she and Neal had it out right in the hallway outside his office. She was stoned and she wanted to be let into class – but that's a nonstarter at our school' Janelle said.

'Did you hear what was going on?' asked the female detective.

'I was getting my class ready and I stepped out to go to the supply room to get some stuff. Neal's voice was getting louder. They were standing in the hallway right outside his office and I could sense something was up so I just hung back for a minute. If you ask me, Neal is way too trusting when it comes to those young girls – some of them just stare at him like the sun shines out of his... Anyway, Caitlin seemed to be trying to sweet talk him but I heard Neal say something about addressing him as ' _Mr._ Caffrey' and then he spotted me and asked me to come over.'

Stan was writing the details down in his old weathered notebook as fast as she was talking and Maddie listened, eyes on the woman's animated face.

'She was pissed off and she glared at him and said 'You'll regret this Neal!' It sounded like something out of a bad movie – but then again, she was higher than a kite. I could see Neal was losing his patience. He asked if I'd escort her out and I took her arm and practically had to drag her away.'

'Did she say anything while you were escorting her out of the building?' asked Maddie.

'Yeah, she was going on about how Neal thought he was so damn smart but _she'd_ show him... the usual crap that comes out of someone's mouth when they're not thinking straight. I just reminded her that Neal Caffrey and the art school were the best things that ever happened to her and that she should smarten up if she didn't want to blow the best chance she had at a successful future but, hey, she wasn't having any of it.'

'So, you didn't hear what had been said between them before you stepped in?' asked Maddie.

'No, sorry. I showed up just when Neal started to get angry...' Janelle repeated.

The detectives exchanged a look and Janelle looked from one to the other. 'She's not accusing him of anything... untoward, is she?'

She watched as they stared back in silence.

'That stupid little girl!' Janelle said, in response to their silence.

WCWCWC

Sara struggled through making dinner, stretching her culinary skills to the max by heating up some pre-packaged burgers and preparing a salad. Liam had made it home from school and was lying on the nearby couch with his laptop and Hope was still at the gallery with Neal. She was still spitting nails about what Caitlin had done and she'd spent part of the afternoon researching how investigations were carried out when such accusations were brought against a person in authority. Of course, the safety and wellbeing of the minor was critical in such cases but from what she'd read, the authorities often had to contend with false accusations, particularly in custody cases, and they had ways of investigating in order to get to the truth. Being accused of sexually assaulting a minor could all but destroy a person's reputation and the authorities were well aware that accusations were easy to make especially from youths who had bones to pick with persons in authority, be it their parents, teachers or coaches. Making certain the accusations could be backed up with facts was essential before laying charges and dragging someone's name through the mud.

Sara had been disappointed to see that, after Neal's initial reaction, he'd pulled back from her, obviously still smarting from her betrayal and he'd made up some excuse to go out to the gallery as he tried to work things out for himself. That was definitely his style - to go lick his wounds alone in a corner - and regardless of their current dispute, it wasn't surprising that Neal needed some time alone. As long as he came back to her eventually, she could live with that.

'Mom?' Liam's voice came from the couch. 'Can you drive me over to Cody's place after dinner? He's invited me over for a sleepover.'

'Sure honey' she responded, only half listening, her mind still focussed on Caffrey Sr.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The two men sat in front of their espressos in the quiet café, Neal still averting his eyes from his partner's curious gaze. His muddled mind was in overdrive; he couldn't take much more in the way of unexpected 'surprises'. The last two days had brought with them disappointment and anger and Neal was having difficulty navigating through the maze of emotions that had surfaced following Caitlin's accusations and Sara's deception.

'Did it go _that_ badly with Sara?' Peter finally asked, trying to pull Neal back out of the black hole he'd seemingly dug for himself.

'What? No, we haven't really... Peter, I got a visit from the NYPD this morning' Neal said, plunging ahead with his current dilemma.

'The police? What for?' Peter asked, suddenly focussed on Neal's face.

'You remember that student I told you about?' Neal said, his voice quiet.

'Caitlin whatshername?'

'Yeah' Neal answered, staring down at his hands. 'She went to the police and accused me of sexually molesting her' Neal said, his voice barely a whisper.

'What?' Peter said, incredulous. His voice was a little too loud and he looked up, noticing the barista glancing their way.

Neal Caffrey had done an awful lot of illegal stuff in his youth but he was as far as one could possibly imagine from being a sexual predator. Neal shook his head again as the enormity of what had happened and the implications for his future came flooding back.

'It's my fault...' he began as his eyes met Peter's 'I went and drove her home the other night after we'd had her over for dinner. Liam had a game and I told Sara to take the kids over to the school and I would join them... Dammit, I could kick myself for being so naive' Neal said, his thoughts all over the map.

Peter listened in silence.

'You know, I've tried to be _so_ careful at the school, not being alone behind closed doors with any of the girls but she's managed to take an innocent discussion we had in the hallway near my office and turn it into something sordid. The police won't even tell me exactly what she's accusing me of; they say they need to finish their investigation.'

'Oh, Neal...' Peter said, shaking his head.

'Peter, what if I'm charged with something?' Neal said in a whisper. 'I would have to give up the school...'

'Neal, stop it. The police will figure it out; they're used to dealing with this kind of thing. I'm sure you're not the first person who's been falsely accused of sexual misconduct.' Peter said, touching his friend's arm.

He watched as Neal swallowed hard at the sound of the words.

'I feel so... sleazy... and I haven't even done anything. Why would she do this?'

Peter raised an eyebrow in response.

'I kicked her out yesterday because she showed up to class stoned and I knew she was angry but... I had no idea she'd go this far' Neal explained.

'What – so you want to lower your standards on the off-chance one of your students cries rape?' Peter said, hoping Neal would see the error of his ways.

'No... I just... maybe I'm not meant to do this – ' Neal began, doubts multiplying in his confused mind.

Peter interrupted. 'Neal, stop! You're not thinking straight.'

He began to realize the legal implications for his best friend. 'Do you need a lawyer? I have an old friend I could get in touch with.'

'I don't know... I don't think so, not for now anyway' Neal said, sounding totally desolate.

He let out a long slow breath. 'And then there's the whole thing with Sara' he continued.

'You still haven't worked that out?' Peter asked.

'Peter, I've just been accused of sexually molesting one of my students. I've kind of had other things on my mind' Neal answered curtly.

'Sorry' he added as he noticed the look of surprise in Peter's eyes.

'You know, Neal, Sara's your greatest ally' Peter said softly. 'Maybe you need to reach out to her and put your anger and disappointment aside – at least till all this gets cleared up.'

Neal shrugged. He felt hurt and confused and didn't know where to turn. He couldn't pretend that nothing had happened between him and Sara; he was still angry and hurt that she'd gone behind his back and had a clandestine meeting with his mother. He had to admit that holding her in his arms when she'd walked in earlier in the day had felt so right – she'd always been there for him and now, he needed her more than ever.

'I don't know...' he said, summing up his confusion.

WCWCWC

'So, what do you say we call our accuser in and see if we can find a chink in her armor?' Maddie Rogers suggested as she and her partner returned to the 49th precinct.

It was going on six o'clock and Stan knew Rhonda would be having conniptions right about now. It was her birthday and they'd planned a nice dinner out with the kids and their new grandbaby and she'd be plenty pissed off if he didn't make it home in the next half hour.

'Why don't we call her back in tomorrow morning for questioning and have another talk with her' he suggested as Maddie nodded.

'Sure. Look, why don't you head on out and I'll set it up with her and the teacher. Let's make it ten o'clock. Don't want to keep our accused perp on pins and needles any longer than we have to' she said.

Stan Wilkinson collected his stuff and smiled at his partner. 'Thanks!' he said as he headed for the door.

'Oh, and wish the old ball and chain happy birthday from me' called out Maddie Rogers.

WCWCWC

'Thanks Mom!' Liam said as he jumped out of the car.

Sara watched as a man waved to Liam; he'd been setting up a sprinkler on the front lawn and upon seeing Sara in the car, he made his way over to greet her.

'Hi!' he said 'I'm Mike, Cody's dad'

'Nice to meet you, Sara Ellis-Caffrey' she responded, putting out her hand.

'Looks like our boys are really taken with one another' the man said as they both looked over at Liam who was running towards the house.

'Yeah' Sara said with a smile, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The fact that Liam was dating was all really new and she reminded herself that, just as they'd done with Hope, she and Neal needed to keep close tabs on Liam - same rules and expectations.

Mike Miller watched, seemingly surmising what was going through Sara's mind.

'I just wanted to reassure you that we have rules in our house. Mindy and I feel strongly that the boys should sleep in separate rooms until... well, until Cody is old enough to take responsibility for his actions.'

Sara let out a sigh of relief. 'Thanks. I wasn't quite sure how to bring that up... this is all new to me. I mean, we have a daughter and my husband and I feel that the same rules apply here.'

'I hear you. Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on things. Raging hormones are raging hormones no matter who your hormones are raging for' he said with a laugh.

'Thanks... Mike' Sara said with a smile. 'I'll pick him up sometime tomorrow.'

A woman appeared at the front door and waved just as Sara began to drive away, feeling reassured that Liam was in good hands.

WCWCWC

By the time Neal made it home, it was going on 7:00 and he looked totally done in. He made some excuse about needing to walk it off and grabbed Raffie to take him out for a run at the local dog park, refusing Sara's offer to come along with him. She could sense he was still smarting from her deception; he was dealing with enough as it was and she didn't want to add to his anguish by insisting so she didn't push her luck.

He returned shortly before 9:00, claiming he was exhausted and he immediately headed up to bed, giving her a small, somewhat insincere smile as he climbed the stairs up to their room, leaving Sara feeling totally dejected and shut out. Pushing Neal in these situations was most definitely not the way to go – as hard as it was to stand by and watch him suffer. Sara decided she wasn't feeling quite sorry enough for herself so she settled in to watch some mindless TV show, grabbing for a bag of chips and a candy bar from her secret stash under sink. She proceeded to wolf everything down in record time, putting the finishing touches on her feelings of shame and dejection and congratulating herself on throwing a most successful pity party.

Neal heard Sara come up the stairs a couple of hours later and he played possum, lying on his side, eyes tightly shut like a five-year-old trying to convince his mom he was sound asleep. He hadn't slept a wink yet, unable to stop his mind from spinning around in circles and, although holding Sara in his arms and letting her comfort him would have done him a world of good, he wasn't going there until they finally had the chance to talk things out. He felt the bed dip as she slipped under the covers and he tried desperately to even out his breathing as he lay there with his back to his wife.

Sara looked forward to their nightly ritual of curling up and catching up on the day's events more than any other moment in their hectic day. Whatever was happening in their busy lives, _this_ was the time when they came together and shared everything that was on their mind whether it was work, the kids, what they'd be doing on the weekend or simply the fact that the new pizza place up the street was highly overrated. Sometimes, they drifted off to sleep while they chatted and other nights, their bodies dissolved in a jumble of tangled limbs as they found each other after a long, busy day.

Sara leaned over and placed a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder, hoping that the détente from earlier in the day might extend to an intimate moment of sharing before they finally fell asleep. Despite the fact Neal wasn't moving, she suspected he was wide awake but simply unable or unwilling to talk to her. Nevertheless, she decided to take a chance.

'Neal? Honey?' she whispered as she felt his breathing quicken at the sound of her voice.

Neal lay there, eyes wide open in the dark, feeling his wife's gentle hand on his arm and it took everything he had not to respond to her comforting touch. He lay there, motionless, continuing his little charade, unable to open that can of worms until the whole mess with Caitlin was resolved.

But Sara Ellis was a smart woman and she knew that if Neal wasn't responding to her attempts at reaching out to him, she needed to leave it alone – for now.

'I love you' she added before giving up and turning over to her side of the bed, her back against his.

It took a long while but she finally nodded off as Neal continued to lay there, filled with anger and resentment at Caitlin Somersby's actions as well as disappointment at what his wife had done. Sara was his anchor, had been for going on twenty years, and when he was on the outs with her, he felt lost, rudderless and he hated that feeling of loneliness and isolation – they were a team and everything seemed off when they weren't connecting.

He listened intently until he heard her breathing even out and once he was certain she was sound asleep, he turned in the bed and pressed his body up against hers, his arms gently circling her waist as he nestled his face into her warm, soft hair.

'I love you too' he whispered.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

'Why do you think they want to talk to me again?' Caitlin asked as she sat in the seat next to Jo Thompson.

The woman manoeuvred the car into a parking spot right in front of the 49th precinct. 'I have no idea, honey' she responded, wondering the same thing herself.

'Do you think they're going to charge Mr. Caffrey?' the teen asked, her voice shaking.

'Caitlin... I don't know' the teacher repeated, an edge of impatience to her voice.

The teen seemed anxious, certainly in comparison to her poised, cocky demeanor from the day before. Her focus seemed to have shifted to Neal and what might happen to _him_ and Jo was becoming more and more suspicious that Caitlin had made the whole thing up. If she _had_ fabricated the story, the teen would need to feel secure before coming clean so Jo turned to face her in the car, sensing the time was right to dig a little deeper.

'You seem really worried about what might happen to Mr. Caffrey. Don't you think he deserves to be punished for what he did?' she asked, her voice soft.

Caitlin stared ahead, not making eye contact with her teacher.

'Teachers aren't supposed to behave that way with their students' Jo continued.

She could sense that the young woman was feeling uneasy, her usual arrogance nowhere to be found and suddenly Caitlin began to tremble, her shoulders shaking violently and the next thing Jo knew, the troubled teen began to sob.

'Caitlin, what is it? What's wrong?' she asked, placing a protective arm around the girl.

The young woman sobbed loudly, unable to speak and she turned to face her teacher, the woman who'd stood by her steadfastly since this whole nightmare had begun. Her eyes were full of anguish and regret and Jo Thompson waited for the inevitable confession; it didn't take long.

'Ms Thompson' Caitlin croaked as her breath wavered. 'It isn't true.'

'What?' asked Jo, concerned about Caitlin's state of mind yet relieved that the girl was finally coming clean.

' _What's_ not true?' she asked, needing to show her support for the troubled teen up to the very end.

'Mr. Caffrey... he didn't do any of those things. It was me...' Caitlin blubbered.

Jo listened in silence, letting the teen get everything off her chest.

'He's always been so nice to me and he's so... sweet and helpful and...'

The sounds of Caitlin's sobs reverberated in the car in time with the pounding in Jo Thompson's ears as she realized what the teen was confessing to.

'Are you telling me that Mr. Caffrey didn't do _any_ of those things you accused him of?' Jo asked, needing clarification.

Caitlin nodded, unable to speak.

'None of it?' Jo prodded.

Caitlin looked up at her teacher, tears rolling down her face.

'He's going to hate me!' she said as Jo pulled her in for a hug.

'Oh, honey. The important thing right now is that you tell the police the truth so that Mr. Caffrey can be exonerated' said the teacher.

'But... will they arrest me for lying?' she asked, her voice breathless.

'No, honey. I don't think they'll _arrest_ you but they'll read you the riot act, that's for sure. Making false accusations is a very serious thing... Mr. Caffrey could have lost his job _and_ his reputation if he'd been charged and I don't think that's what you want, is it?'

'No' Caitlin cried, inconsolable. 'Now, I can never go back to the art school... and he was the only person who understood me' she blubbered.

'Caitlin, let's deal with one thing at a time. Why don't we go in there and you can tell the police what you just told me and we'll see where we go from there, okay?' Jo said, the voice of reason.

'Okay' Caitlin answered, her voice squeaky.

Jo Thompson held the young girl against her and let out a loud, audible sigh of relief.

WCWCWC

Hope sat in front of the short stack of pancakes and reached for the maple syrup Neal had put out on the table in front of her. When she'd asked him if he would make her some of his world famous blueberry pancakes, he'd happily obliged, glad for the distraction. He had barely slept a wink and he'd begun to wonder if he should just show up at the police station and see if he could talk to the detectives he'd met the day before. He couldn't take much more of this waiting around and he was still debating whether such a visit was advisable when Hope finally spoke up.

'So, how long are you going to keep punishing Mom by not talking to her?' Hope asked as she sat across from her dad at the breakfast table.

He glared at his daughter in response to her question and sneered by way of an answer. He was used to Hope's direct style of questioning – after all, she was her mother's daughter.

'Dad, I'm talking to you' Hope said, her voice insistent, as she tucked into her third pancake.

'Honey, this has nothing to do with you' Neal answered, obviously unwilling to discuss this with his daughter.

'I beg to differ' Hope said, poised. 'You and Mom love each other and whatever she's done to piss you off, you owe it to her to try to work things out.'

Of course, Hope knew exactly what her mom had done to make him so angry and in light of the talk she'd had with him in the car a few days earlier, she'd concluded that her mom wasn't terribly off base in trying to get him to face his past – and his mother.

'Hope, please' he said, shutting her out. 'I know you think you know what's going on but you've got to let me deal with this in my own way. I promise, Mom and I will be fine... eventually' Neal responded, giving her barely a glance.

Hope shook her head in frustration; her parents had always had a very loving, albeit intense, relationship - one that ran the gamut from unbridled passion to anger and exasperation at times. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd witnessed their arguments - although their war of words inevitably ended with lots of laughter and cuddling and other more intimate stuff that, as a kid, she was more than happy not to be privy to.

This time, she could sense her mom's distress at being shut out and it didn't look like her dad was anywhere near ready to let things go.

'Well, whatever you might think Dad, Mom loves you and she only wants what's best for you. I remember a similar conversation you and I had right here in this kitchen the day Mom stormed out after she found out you were searching for Auntie Emily behind her back' Hope reminded her dad.

Neal listened to his daughter who, admittedly, had just made a valid point. Although the circumstances had been different, he recalled how he'd gone against Sara's wishes when he'd embarked on that search for her sister and it had taken some doing to get her to forgive him and make her see that he'd acted in her best interest. Despite his silver tongue, Neal couldn't think of a single rebuke to Hope's comment so he went with his second favorite strategy: deflection by changing the subject.

'Look, I'm going to head out to the school for a little while' he said, placing a kiss on his daughter's head. 'Don't worry about me and Mom, okay?'

Hope watched as he turned to leave – maybe she would need to enlist some help in getting her parents to sit in the same room for more than five minutes so they could work things out. She picked up her phone and hit number 3 on her speed dial.

'Uncle Peter' she said as her godfather answered, 'I need your help.'

WCWCWC

'I told you so' Stan Wilkinson gloated as Maddie Rogers handed him a cup of the nastiest looking coffee he'd ever seen.

She raised an eyebrow at her partner. It was true - he _did_ have amazing instincts when it came to reading people but intuition was just a small part of detective work; the rest was equal parts plain old digging and good old fashioned luck. Whenever a witness recanted, it turned a case on its head and in this situation, Caitlin Somersby's most recent account of events had allowed the detectives to close the books on the false accusations she'd brought against her art teacher.

Jo Thompson's prediction that the teenager would be raked over the coals had turned out to be somewhat of an understatement. The detectives took full advantage of the situation to remind Caitlin of what might have happened to an innocent man if she'd continued with her lies and innuendos. Of course, she didn't need to know that, based on the interviews they'd carried out at the school, Neal Caffrey had already been cleared, for all intents and purposes.

Part of her penance was to meet with Neal so she could apologize to him face to face and she'd already looked up pleadingly at Jo Thompson, eyes filled with tears and had silently pleaded with her to come along when she eventually went to talk to her beloved art teacher – _if_ he agreed to see her after what she'd put him through.

'So? Do you want to call Caffrey and let him know what's happened?' Maddie asked of her partner. '...seeing as you seem to have a man-crush on the guy.'

'My pleasure' said Stan Wilkinson with a smile.

WCWCWC

Neal had been sitting in his office at the art school for the past two hours, dealing with a stack of invoices – his least favorite part of the job – when his phone beeped with an incoming text.

' _How about meeting up for lunch?_ ' it read.

' _Sure. I've had just about enough of this boring paper work'_ Neal responded to his best friend.

' _I'll book us a table at the Bistro'_ came the response.

Neal frowned at his phone and he had a passing thought for his wife – that was one of _her_ favorite restaurants although he'd never known Peter to be particularly fond of it. The ex-agent sure had come a long way since their early days when Peter had considered an outing at Denny's as a foray into 'haute cuisine'.

' _Sure'_ Neal texted back with a smile. A nice lunch out in Manhattan was just what the doctor had ordered to chase the blues away.

' _1:00 okay?'_

' _Yup'_ came the answer.

He was still struggling with whether or not he should drop by the police station to see if he could speak with one of the two detectives. Thinking better of it, he looked up the number for the 49th precinct and picked up his phone to place the call.

WCWCWC

'Mom, it'll be fine' Hope said as Sara finished explaining the whole sordid story of what Caitlin Somersby had done and what might be the repercussions for Neal.

Sara looked up at her daughter with a worried look; she hadn't been able to gauge Neal's mood that morning – he'd left the house before she'd even gotten up, still avoiding any contact with her that wasn't absolutely necessary.

'And on top of everything else, your dad is still shutting me out. He's still really pissed off about me going to St. Louis' Sara added.

'Mom, you know Dad – he needs time to process things' Hope answered as she put a loving arm around her mom's shoulder.

Those lines on Sara's forehead were deep and she'd need more than a few words of encouragement to pull her through. Luckily, operation 'kiss and make up' was well underway.

'Tell you what' said Hope, her voice cheery. 'I got my first paycheque from the gallery yesterday and I can't think of a better way to spend it than to take you out to lunch. How about the Bistro?'

'Isn't that a bit pricey, honey?' Sara asked with a frown.

'It's my pleasure, Mom. Come on' she said pulling Sara to her feet. 'I'll drive!'

WCWCWC

Neal strutted into the Bistro with a spring in his step, anxious to tell Peter the good news. He'd just hung up from talking to Detective Wilkinson who'd informed him that the investigation into Caitlin's allegations had totally vindicated him and that, as part of a restitution program for wayward teens, the police had encouraged Caitlin to get in touch with him to apologize and discuss ways of making amends.

The first order of business was to text Sara and tell her the good news; he knew she'd been just as worried as he was about the situation and now that the unfortunate incident was behind them, he felt ready to sit down and start talking things out with his wife. As soon as brunch was over, he resolved to head home and hear her out.

'Table for Peter Burke' he said to the hostess as he arrived.

'Ah, yes, over here. You're the first one to arrive' she said as she led him to a nice secluded table at the back with a view onto the busy street.

He settled in to wait for his best friend and grabbed his phone to let Sara in on the good news.

WCWCWC

'Go on in Mom, I'll park the car and I'll be right behind you' Hope lied as she dropped Sara off right in front of the Bistro. 'I reserved a table under my name.'

Sara stepped onto the curb and into the restaurant, already salivating at the thought of the wonderful avocado salad she was planning on ordering. Short of working things out with Neal and having the nightmare with Caitlin magically disappear, having lunch with her daughter would be a wonderful distraction. She felt her phone vibrate as the young hostess welcomed her.

'Caffrey' Sara said, reaching absent mindedly for her phone.

The hostess smiled, remembering the conversation she'd had on the phone with the young woman who'd reserved the table. Something about a surprise for her parents.

'Come with me' she said, as she led Sara to the back of the restaurant.

Both she and Neal were momentarily distracted by their phones as the young woman led Sara straight to the table where Neal sat patiently, waiting for Peter.

Their eyes met and the look of sheer surprise on their faces melted almost immediately into a loving smile.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Upon seeing his wife, Neal was instantly on his feet, their dispute momentarily forgotten as he swept Sara up into his arms in jubilation.

'Honey, that's fantastic news!' she said, having just read his text.

Neal set her back down and the moment passed, his face turning more serious as he pulled out Sara's chair for her to sit down. It was becoming obvious that they'd both been tricked into sitting down together to try to work things out.

'I should have known Peter would _never_ pick this place to have lunch' he said as he settled back down in front of her.

'And I suppose Hope isn't coming in to join us either' Sara added, realizing they'd both been conned into meeting up for lunch.

They both smiled, shaking their heads.

'Some people just won't take no for an answer, huh?' Neal said, thinking of his daughter.

Sara's phone vibrated again and she laughed as she read, showing her husband the text she'd just received from Hope.

' _Going for pizza with Uncle Peter. You two don't get to leave the restaurant until you've worked things out'_ it read.

Instantly, Neal's phone also pulsated in his hand with a text message, this time from Peter.

' _What she said'_ Neal read out loud as he shook his head and let out a soft laugh.

'I guess that's us told, huh?' he said to Sara, suddenly feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

There would be the inevitable fallout from the unfortunate episode with the police and an eventual face to face meeting with Caitlin Somersby but for now, Neal was simply relieved to be able to set aside the imminent threat of losing his beloved school. He looked across at Sara's face, realizing that she had been just as anxious about the whole thing as he'd been, noticing her wiping her eyes as relief flooded through her. She was always there for him and he reached over to take her hand.

'I'm sorry I shut you out. I just... I needed a day or two to let everything sink in' he said as he squeezed her hand.

She shrugged, afraid that if she spoke, the few wayward tears that were forming in her eyes might escalate into an all out sobbing fest and wanting to avoid making a scene in a public place.

'I'm ready to listen to everything you have to say' Neal said '...but first, you need to hear _me_ out.'

WCWCWC

'Well, it's in their hands now' Peter said as he put down his phone.

Hope smiled back at her uncle, pleased that they'd managed to team up to pull the wool over the feuding couple's eyes. She knew that, once they were face to face, her parents would be forced to find some common ground and work things out. The waitress arrived and looked expectantly at Peter, pad and pencil in hand.

'We'll have a large sausage, pineapple and green pepper pizza with a couple of cokes' Peter said without hesitation as he and Hope handed back their menus.

'You remembered!' Hope said as the waitress stepped away to place their order.

'You might be the only person on the planet who likes that weird combination' Peter answered with a smile.

He'd been looking forward to having some alone time with his goddaughter, something that hadn't been possible since she'd returned the previous week. Except for working side by side at the gallery, they hadn't had a moment alone to catch up on all their news. Saturdays with Hope had been a regular thing for Peter when she was a little girl and now that she was home for the summer, he hoped the long standing tradition could resume; indeed, that would make Peter Burke very happy.

WCWCWC

Sara and Neal sat in front of their meals, eyes glued to each other. They hadn't managed to find the words yet but both of them knew the time had come to start the all important dialogue that would lead to a reconciliation. Neither one of them was content to continue with the frosty silence that had dominated the last few days and now that the dark cloud of Caitlin's accusations had all but dissipated, it was time to talk things out. They ate in companionable silence, small smiles passing their lips as they prepared to bare their souls to each other.

Once they'd finished eating, Neal glanced down at his empty plate and he hesitantly returned his gaze to his wife's eyes. His face seemed relaxed, more relaxed than she'd seen it since her return from St. Louis and Sara watched as Neal's eyes wandered back down nervously to his plate as he struggled with what he wanted to say.

'I haven't told you much about my life when I was little. I don't like to talk about it... or think about it, really' he said as he paused for a moment. 'You already know I was in WitSec growing up but what I haven't told you is what those years were like.'

Sara's eyes remained glued to her husband's; so much of the anguish he was feeling could be seen in his eyes and she wanted to make sure she grasped all the fine nuances he was communicating through his gaze - nuances that were just as important as the words he was speaking.

'I was three years old when my dad went to jail and we were set up in a small two bedroom apartment near downtown St. Louis. Ellen lived a couple of blocks over. Of course, I don't remember much about those first few years although I have a vague recollection of my mom reading to me before I went to bed; it's fuzzy though...What I most remember about those early years was the deathly silence in the house; it was almost as if we were grieving... we were, I guess, in a sense... grieving for the life that we'd been robbed of as a family.'

Neal paused as the memories came flooding back. 'You know, I don't remember _ever_ seeing my mom smile although I saw pictures of her and my dad when they were first married; she had a beautiful smile... sparkling blue eyes... not at all the woman that I remember. By the time I started school, she'd fallen into a deep depression – although I couldn't put a label on it at the time. I'd come home from school and find her passed out on the couch... or if she wasn't passed out, she was drunk and miserable, yelling at me to be quiet, telling me to go to my room. Ellen would come over from time to time to check on me but...by then, she'd managed to get a job at the local flower shop down the street...'

Neal stopped as the waitress returned with coffee and his eyes moved to Sara's face, seeing the tears welling up.

'Mom was always drunk or passed out – that's what I remember about those years. I would come home and try to get something together for dinner... usually peanut butter or eggs - if she'd remembered to pick up groceries, that is. By the age of six, I was taking money from her purse and going down to get what we needed at the corner store – otherwise, we wouldn't have had anything to eat in the house.'

'Sometimes...' Neal hesitated before continuing '...I would clean up her vomit or lay her on her side so she wouldn't choke on it'.

He laughed sarcastically. '... not bad for fond memories, huh?'

Neal took a deep breath and brought the coffee cup to his lips, sipping slowly as he seemed to collect his thoughts. This was obviously difficult for him and yet, he seemed driven now to tell the story, reliving it as he spoke.

'By the time I was in school, she'd started to go out nights at a neighborhood bar. I was alone in the evenings... sometimes Ellen would pop by if she wasn't working but mostly, I just did my homework and drew or watched TV... I usually fell asleep on the couch but then... well, she started to bring men home with her and some of them were nasty drunks so I tried to make it to bed so I wouldn't be yelled at when she came home.'

His eyes became distant as some far away memory came into focus. 'One night, I must have been seven or eight, I could hear noises outside our apartment and some banging on our door. I was terrified. I remember hiding under the bed to wait for my mom. That night, I didn't sleep a wink and she _never_ came home. I lay there, shaking... under the bed... just... just waiting, praying she'd come home.'

Tears started to roll down Sara's cheeks as she listened and she reached out to take Neal's hand as it lay listlessly on the table. The gesture seemed to bring him back and his sad, lifeless eyes looked up at her as he forced himself to give her a weak smile.

'After that, I... I started to do my own thing. Sometimes, friends from school would invite me over for dinner and if I was lucky, the odd sleepover. I got to see that not everyone lived like we did and it made me... angry, I guess... envious, sad... I could never have friends over to our house, hell, _I_ didn't even want to be there. I started hanging out in the streets, shooting pool with some older kids, getting into a little bit of trouble here and there... Mom had a procession of men in and out of the house... some stayed for a couple of months, others were one night stands and were gone the next day. I remember one particular prince of a guy who hung around for weeks' Neal said with a bitter laugh '... he decided to use me as a punching bag. At least, he had the decency of kicking me where the bruises wouldn't show. On top of everything else, I didn't want to be teased at school for having been beaten up...My mom didn't know what was going on; she lived from one high to the next and I'd find needles and empty crack wrappers all over her room. Sometimes, when she was drunk or high, she'd moan and she'd call me 'Neal'... I guess she was remembering the days when we were still a family...'

Neal looked up into Sara's eyes seeing the pain and sadness there, sadness at having to listen to someone she loved relive such painful experiences.

'I guess you kind of know the rest of the story... I started hanging around with older kids, getting into trouble... breaking and entering, just... just drifting aimlessly until I realized that there might be more excitement out there somewhere.'

'And that's when you came to New York?' asked Sara, her voice soft.

Neal nodded. 'I was 18... I started to run scams here and there to have enough to live on. I met Moz and we teamed up and then when I went to work for Adler, I met Kate...' he said, his voice fading.

Their eyes met and although Neal's were dry, they were filled with grief for the life he'd never had – the life every child deserved to have.

'I'm sorry' Sara whispered.

Neal looked up and smiled at her. 'It's not _your_ fault, baby' he said as he squeezed her hand.

Sara let out an unexpected sob as she spoke. 'How come you never told me?' she asked, her voice quivering.

Neal scoffed and shrugged. 'Like I said... it was a _long_ time ago and... there was just no point in bringing up the past.'

'I always knew you were a compassionate man but now I understand why it's so important for you to save the Cailtins of the world' Sara said.

Neal let out a sardonic laugh. 'Yeah, I guess we don't need an hour on a psychiatrist's couch to figure that one out, huh?'

Neal's recounting of his painful youth certainly put a different spin on things and Sara thought of the Linda Bennett she'd met a few days before: a sad and lonely woman whose life had somehow passed her by – although Sara's heart was breaking for the man she loved, she couldn't help but feel empathy for his broken mother.

Neal sat back and crossed his arms, breaking the spell.

'I promised I'd listen to what you have to say about my mom' he said as he prepared to hear what Sara had uncovered about the woman who'd abandoned him and left him to fend for himself.

Sara prepared to recount her visit with Linda Bennett, worried that, in trying to help Neal let go of his painful past, she might just have made things a whole lot worse.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Hope sat across from her uncle Peter in a quiet booth at Napoli's Pizza House, a mere two blocks over from where she'd dropped her mom off an hour earlier. Spending time with her godfather was easy breezy; Hope hadn't realized just how much she'd missed spending time with him until they'd opened up the floodgates, picking up where they'd left off, the conversation flowing effortlessly as it always did.

They were kindred spirits, had been since the day Peter Burke had held that newborn baby in his arms and gazed down at her beautiful face. Growing up, Hope had spent virtually every Saturday afternoon with him, doing things that were diametrically opposed to the activities she enjoyed sharing with her dad. Her uncle Peter had introduced her to the Yankees, five pin bowling, action adventure movies and sausage pizza while, with her dad, she'd discovered the great painters and she'd honed her craft by his side in their studio at home, admiring his talent and taking in his sage advice. Her dad had taught her to appreciate the finer things in life from food to art to culture and they'd shared countless hours in each other's company, debating whether Impressionism or Expressionism had been _the_ defining period in art history or simply working side by side in mutual admiration. The two men were _so_ different yet she loved them both and she recognized the all important role each had played in helping her shape her own personal identity.

She pushed her plate aside and let out a decisively unladylike burp as Peter laughed.

'Good, huh?' he asked as he watched his goddaughter's satiated face.

She nodded although her mind already seemed to be wandering to something else.

'Uncle Peter' she finally said, formulating her question. 'How did you know Auntie Elizabeth was the one for you?'

Peter got a goofy, faraway look on his face as he pondered the question, no doubt returning to that moment when he'd met the beautiful Elizabeth Mitchell at the gallery where she'd worked, all those years ago. It had been love at first sight although Peter had believed back then that she was way out of his league. It had taken El flashing that huge cardboard sign to get him to figure out that she'd had the same reaction to him.

'For us, it was the classic love at first sight' Peter said, his look faraway. 'I never thought someone as smart and beautiful as your aunt Elizabeth would ever give me a second look... but hey...'

He glanced over at Hope, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, aware of the reason she had posed the question in the first place; she was still unsure about her relationship with Cameron and Peter felt the need to clarify things.

'You know, honey' he continued. 'It's not like _that_ for everyone. Some relationships start with a solid friendship and grow into love over time as people get to know each other better.'

Hope smiled in response, a small insecure smile; it didn't sound nearly as glamorous as how Peter had just described his falling in love with Elizabeth.

'And then there are couples like your parents – where there's intensity and undeniable chemistry.. although when they first met, it teetered between... desire and...loathing. I can definitely tell you that although it was 'attraction at first sight' for your mom and dad, it sure as hell wasn't _love_ at first sight. It took a long time for them to get out of their own way and become the solid, loving couple they are today.'

He watched Hope's eyes, realizing she was in the throes of deciding where her relationship with Cameron was headed. She looked across at her uncle, feeling perfectly safe and secure in baring her soul and she opened her mouth to speak.

'When I'm with Cam... I... I love everything about him, he's sweet, thoughtful, funny, smart, interesting' she began 'and we connect perfectly in... well, in _every_ way.'

Peter watched her waver, waiting for the 'but'.

'But...'

Bam, there it was.

'But... when I was in Pittsburgh, I met so many interesting people... guys, you know. And, with every one of them I wondered – could _he_ be 'the' one. But I can't go around test driving every new model that comes along' she said, laughing at the comparison.

'No, but you could take a couple of them out on a test drive, see how it goes. You don't always buy the first car you try' Peter said, sticking with the car analogy.

She shrugged, taking in his response.

'Honey, there's no _one_ recipe for meeting your soul mate and even when you think you've found him, there are no guarantees. Just look at the divorce rates in this country' he added.

'I guess...' Hope said.

'My best advice is for you to relax and enjoy the summer, see where it takes you. Your instincts will tell you where you need to go from there; you just need to trust yourself. And even if you decide to broaden the field...' he said with a smile '...it doesn't mean you wouldn't end up right back where you started... with Cam.'

'You always know what to say' Hope smiled. 'How is that?'

'Dunno' he answered self-deprecatingly. 'There's gotta be _some_ advantages to getting old.'

WCWCWC

The waitress returned with a pot of coffee, refilling Neal and Sara's cups for the third time in the past hour. The restaurant had grown quiet now that the lunchtime rush was over and the couple had settled in to a quiet, intimate discussion, seemingly unaware of anyone else around them.

Sara had spent the last few minutes sharing her first impressions of Linda Bennett and what she'd found when she'd walked into her tiny room at the Amica Retirement Home. Neal was reeling from the revelation that June had been in touch with his mom for the past twenty years, providing information about their lives as a family.

'Why would June _do_ that?' he repeated for the second time.

'Honey, June loved you and she didn't want you getting upset by having your mom reappear after all that time. Linda says that, at first, June didn't want to have anything to do with her but over time, as June realized your mom had a genuine interest in your wellbeing, she shared more and more information with her... but it didn't happen overnight. In the last few years, June even tried to encourage her to get in touch with you but Linda said she was too afraid that you wouldn't want her in your life – and she's the first to admit that she wouldn't have blamed you for shutting her out.'

'But it's so... disturbing to think that all this time, she's known all these intimate details about our lives... our wedding day, my work with the FBI, the kids, the gallery...' Neal said, staring down into his coffee cup.

'I'll admit it _was_ strange to see those pictures all over her room... but, Neal, you have to know that June would never have done _anything_ to hurt you. I think the fact is she could relate to what Linda was going through as a mom and she probably thought that sharing this information with her was the lesser of two evils – you know... letting her know you were safe and doing okay without disrupting your life.'

Neal shrugged. 'I suppose. I just think my mom gave up any rights to knowing _anything_ about me when she... when she abandoned me all those years ago.'

Sara listened intently. Although it was _her_ actions that had brought them to this point, the decision as to whether or not there would be an eventual reunion was up to Neal and, no matter what her opinion was, she needed to respect that.

'She's a flawed human being, Neal. Just like we all are; I can think of so many times I wished I'd said or done the right thing with the kids and I... I don't always.'

Neal looked up at his wife; he knew she'd always struggled with her warped perception of herself as a mom when, in fact, she'd been an amazing mother to their kids, foibles and all.

'Sara...' Neal said as he smiled at her '...you cannot _possibly_ compare yourself to this... woman –' he began.

Sara interrupted.

'Neal, I'm just saying that she was struggling with her own inner demons and she was doing the best she could at the time although, admittedly, it fell short of the mark. She's the first to admit _that_ ' Sara said, taking a breath before continuing.

'Honey, _nobody_ deserves to be treated the way you were treated but you're a grown man now and holding on to that hurt and anger doesn't do either one of you any good.'

She could see Neal reflecting on her comment and Sara quieted, letting him contemplate what she'd just said.

'How did she look?' Neal asked after a moment of reflection. It was a surprising question yet one that had obviously been on his mind and now, curiosity had gotten the better of him.

'Do you want to see?' Sara asked, thinking of the picture she'd taken with her phone that day.

Neal cocked his eyebrows in question. 'You have a picture?'

Sara nodded and took her phone in her hand as Neal's eyes grew wide.

'Are you sure?' she asked.

He nodded and watched as she searched for the picture she'd taken of Linda as she sat in her room just a few days before. She had somehow anticipated Neal's request and had filed away the image, just in case.

She passed the phone over to Neal and watched as he stared down, in shock. He hadn't laid eyes on his mom in 37 years, ever since that day he'd boarded the bus for New York City, never to look back again. He remembered a beautiful woman whose looks had been ravaged by the effects of drugs and alcohol, unkempt and indifferent as to her physical appearance. The woman who stared back at him was an elderly lady who was well-coiffed with clear blue eyes and a calm smile – somebody's mom... his mom.

His breath hitched as he stared down at the photograph. 'Wow' he said, breathless 'She's an old lady.'

Sara laughed softly. 'Neal, she's 79 years old.'

Neal kept staring at the photograph, mesmerized; although she had aged, there was still something familiar behind those blue eyes and Neal suddenly had a flashback to that face staring down at him as she spoke softly to him, arms around him, keeping him safe.

He'd managed to sit through the past hour, pouring his heart out to his wife, feeling strong and focussed, his emotions firmly in check but now, as he stared into those eyes so much like his own, Neal began to feel overwhelmed and he let out a small sob as tears began forming in his eyes.

'I just wasn't expecting to have this kind of reaction' he admitted as he swallowed hard and struggled to regain his composure.

He handed the phone back to Sara and she placed it on the table, returning her hand to his.

'Honey, I never meant to upset you by opening this can of worms' she said. 'Please believe me, I only want what's best for you.'

Neal nodded. 'I know that, honey' he said his voice quiet.

'And now, I'm wondering if I've made a terrible mistake' she admitted. 'All I want for you, my sweet, wonderful husband, is for you to let go of that anger and resentment you've been holding on to since the day I met you... and I still think that seeing her _might_ help you do that.'

Neal's eyes moved to gaze at his wife, seeing the pure unadulterated love she felt for him. He felt raw and vulnerable but no longer was he angry at her for what she'd done; he knew her motives were pure and just as he'd done in the past when it came to _her_ wellbeing, she'd acted out of love and devotion.

'Tell you what...' he said, squeezing her hand and giving her a small smile. '...I promise to think about it. How's that?'

'That's all I ask. And _I_ promise to respect your decision whatever it is and if you decide that you don't want to meet with her, I will _never_ mention it again' Sara said in all sincerity.

'Thanks' Neal said as he smiled sadly.

'I love you Neal' Sara reminded him as she gazed into his sad eyes.

The mood had grown sombre and Sara decided it was time to break the spell; when next she spoke, it was in her usual, no nonsense way.

'Now, if _I_ don't go to the bathroom...' she said, cutting through the gloominess.

Neal's face brightened in response to her attempt at levity and he looked over at his wife with a wide grin as he shook his head in exasperation.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Neal and Sara drove into the quiet neighborhood (much like their own), up a tree lined street (much like their own) and up to a pretty little house (much like their own).

'Did you meet him?' Neal asked as he parked the car.

'No, but I met his dad' Sara responded. 'Nice guy!'

The couple stepped out of the car and walked up the short walkway to the cute little bungalow. Neal was feeling liberated now that he and Sara had heard each other out and even though nothing was really settled as far as what he would eventually choose to do, he felt strangely at peace and calmer than he had in a couple of days.

'Hi' said the pretty blond woman who answered the door. 'You must be Liam's parents.'

Sara smiled and put out her hand. 'Hi, I'm Sara. And this is my husband, Neal' she said as Neal turned on one of his killer smiles.

'Mindy' answered the woman with a killer smile of her own. 'Come on in. The kids are in the backyard working on their project.'

Neal and Sara glanced at each other; this was the first they'd heard about a 'project'. They followed Mindy Miller through the house and out to the back yard where they could see a group of kids hanging out, busily working on various tasks.

'Hey Mom!' Liam called out as he spotted his parents. 'Dad! What are _you_ doing here?'

'Mom and I were out for lunch and we thought we'd _both_ stop by and pick you up' Neal answered.

Truth was, they were both looking forward to finally meeting Cody and this seemed like as good a time as any. Neal recognized the young man amongst the group of eight teenagers nearby, both boys and girls; he'd noticed him waiting for Liam outside the change room at school earlier in the week. Amongst the group, Sara spotted Liam's best friend, Will Allenby and his girlfriend, Josie and the young man waved as he saw his best friend's parents standing there. The teens were milling around the deck, hard at work and Neal and Sara watched as Liam called Cody over, his eyes glowing with excitement.

'Cody! Come here, I want you to meet my parents' Liam said, with what Neal and Sara noticed was pride in his voice.

The teen looked up from what he was doing and gave a big smile as he walked over. He was a good looking young man, not as tall as Liam, with dark, wavy hair and piercing brown eyes. Sara couldn't help but notice the deep dimples – similar to those she'd noticed on his dad the night before – and the way he smiled with self-assuredness as he made his way over.

'Hi!' he said brightly as he put out his hand to shake Neal's. 'It's nice to meet you!'

Suddenly, Neal noticed a man appearing from inside the house – a more mature, older version of the boy he'd just shaken hands with.

'Hi Sara' the man said, walking past her to put out his hand for Neal. 'Mike Miller' he said as Neal responded in kind.

Now that the introductions were out of the way, Neal and Sara stood rather awkwardly waiting to see if Liam was ready to come home. By all appearances, the kids were in the process of tidying up and Liam pointed to the rest of the group.

'I just need maybe... twenty minutes' Liam said as his eyes went from his parents to Cody '...so we can finish up.'

The kids had taken over most of the backyard deck with paints, marker, cardboard and other paraphernalia for their 'project'.

Neal and Sara exchanged glances. 'Sure' said Neal. 'So what are you guys working on?'

'It's stuff for the GSA; we're having an event at school on Wednesday night – on the night of the championship game' Liam answered, livelier than he usually was.

Sara looked quizzically at Neal – GSA? Neal picked up, without missing a beat. 'I didn't even know you had a Gay Straight Alliance at school' he said knowledgeably as Sara frowned at his familiarity with the acronym. Neal gave her the ' _I know stuff'_ look in response.

'Yeah, I just joined last week' Liam said as Cody stood there proudly.

'We're setting up a kiosk with some information on LGBT rights and we're selling some t-shirts. We're also going to raffle off an I-pad and we'll be selling tickets for a movie night we're having next month' Cody explained as he pointed to all the stuff littered around the deck.

Sara looked over at the group of teens, busily cleaning up after what looked like a productive meeting. She could see some t-shirts with the phrase _'The butterflies should come from love, not fear'_ and some signs they'd made with slogans like _'Don't be afraid to show your true colors'_ and _'Courage is being yourself everyday in a world that tells you to be someone else'_

She smiled as she saw Liam return to the group, looking comfortable and happy to belong. Who wouldn't want that for their kid, she thought.

'I just made some lemonade' Mindy said, breaking the awkward silence. 'Why don't we sit and chat while we wait for the kids to finish tidying up?' she suggested, pointing to the nearby gazebo.

'Sure' both Neal and Sara answered in harmony.

WCWCWC

Hope Ellis-Caffrey had made it back to the Raphael Gallery just in time to teach her afternoon class for the group of 6 to 10 year olds – a combination of art history and self expression. She had taught that very class when the gallery had first opened and she was glad to pick up where she'd left off the previous Christmas; she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed it.

She was tidying up when Cameron wandered in from the front room. There were no customers in the store and the young man took advantage of the unusual lull in activity to sneak out for a brief cuddle with his girlfriend. Contrary to Hope, Cam had no doubts as to their relationship or its future and he hoped that he could use their time together to dispel any doubts she might be having.

'Good class?' he asked as he came behind her and weaved his arms around her waist.

She stopped what she was doing, enjoying the closeness for a moment; physical intimacy had never been a problem between them and she took a moment to appreciate the feel of his body pressed up against hers, realizing that teaching 6 to 10 year olds wasn't the _only_ thing she'd missed while she was in Pittsburgh.

'Huh, huh' she said dreamily. 'I really missed teaching the kids while I was away.'

His hand moved up to her shoulder as he gently pushed away her thick curls in an attempt to place a kiss on her bare neck; Hope mewled in response.

'Are you coming over to my place tonight?' he asked, his voice a sensuous whisper.

'Try and stop me' she responded, playfully.

She turned, preparing to make a more substantial move on her boyfriend when the annoying sound of the bell was heard, heralding the arrival of another customer.

'Hold that thought' Cam said, disappointed, as he pulled himself away.

WCWCWC

'So, how long has Cody been involved with the club?' Neal asked as they settled in under the gazebo, a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade in hand. It was obvious that the young man played a major role in the alliance in spite of his young age.

Mindy and Mike Miller smiled at each other knowingly. 'Actually, he co-founded it with his friend Josh last year when he entered high school. I'm afraid our son is quite the activist' volunteered Mindy with a laugh.

'We're really proud of him' added Mike as he glanced over at Cody who was busy directing the group as they finished up.

Neal nodded in agreement. Liam had a totally different temperament but it was easy to see that his feelings for Cody and his recent coming out had inspired him to get involved in something larger than himself.

'So, Cody tells us Liam just came out recently' Mindy said tentatively, hoping it wasn't a sore subject.

Sara nodded, somewhat embarrassed. 'Yeah, just last week, _officially_ anyway' she admitted, rather sheepishly.

'You know, each kid is different and comes into his own when the time is right' Mike Miller said. 'We kind of had it easy with Cody – we've sort of known he was gay from the get go'

'Yeah' laughed Mindy 'he used to sit and listen to One Direction and fawn over Harry when he was eight years old – it went from there...'

'I guess we've known about Liam for awhile now but we didn't want to push him into putting a label on it until he was ready...' Neal volunteered as he looked over at Sara.

'...despite his mom trying to drag it out of him' he added with a smile, grabbing Sara's hand as a way of tempering his comment.

Sara gave her husband a reproachful look, obviously feeling he was _over_ sharing.

'Well, it's like anything else in their lives, they get to decide when they want to share things with us, I guess' Mike Miller said.

The Millers were a pleasant couple and suddenly, Sara found herself imagining all of them ten years into the future as the boys planned their wedding. Mindy and Mike would be nice to have as inlaws... She snapped out of the strange fantasy when Liam came over to talk them.

'All set' he said as everyone stood and prepared to leave.

There were goodbyes all around and Neal and Sara suggested that the Millers come over for dinner some time in the next couple of weeks. Cody walked them all to the car and Neal and Sara watched as he unabashedly kissed their son gently on the lips, right in front of them.

And Liam didn't even blush.

WCWCWC

'So, what else did she say?' Sara asked as she lay in bed, head snuggled up against Neal's chest.

'Not a whole lot. But she said Jo Thompson is coming with her; I guess she's afraid of how I might react' Neal answered as he languidly ran his hand up and down Sara's arm.

'Do you want me to be there when she comes?' asked Sara, her voice quiet.

'Hell, yes!' Neal answered emphatically. 'She needs to know that we're a team and that there are no secrets between us...make her feel even worse' he added bitterly.

As soon as he'd said the words, Neal felt badly; Caitlin was a mixed up kid who had acted impulsively – albeit inappropriately – and Neal, of all people, could certainly relate to acting out without thinking through the consequences. He'd done _just_ that in his earlier years – or was that just last week. But actions _did_ have consequences and he'd learned that very lesson over time just as he hoped Caitlin would. Perhaps, it was up to him to help her with that; however, he needed to find a way to help her, without making himself vulnerable.

'It was fun to see Liam with that group of friends, huh?' Sara said, changing the subject.

'Yeah' Neal agreed. 'And it was nice to see Will there too, supporting him.'

'How come you knew what a GSA was?' Sara asked, curious.

'Honey... there's this new thing on the internet, it's called Google' Neal said as he jostled her.

Sara glared at him with a look of annoyance, happy to see her husband was back to his old self as far as their easygoing banter was concerned. It felt good to be teased by Neal, a common occurrence which normally drove her crazy; the familiarity of the exchange was comforting and she pulled out of his embrace to look into his eyes in the moonlit room.

'Are we good?' Sara asked, her face worried.

It had been an emotionally charged day and more than anything, she needed reassurance that their connection was intact and that she had not caused irreparable damage to the one relationship that meant the most to her.

Neal scoffed and let out a soft laugh. 'Don't you know yet, Repo... we're _always_ going to be good. I can't think of a single thing you could do or say that would make me stop loving you the way I do' he said in a whisper.

'This... intensity between us... it's exciting, Neal but it... it can be dangerous, too. I never want anything to come between us that could tear us apart' she said, her voice wavering.

Neal squeezed her tight, pulling her into his chest once again.

'The day I said 'I do', I knew exactly what I was in for with the likes of you, Sara Ellis. That's never gonna change' he said, his voice soft in the quiet house.

'But I agree, we can always do better on the communication front. We just have to keep at it... after all, we've only had twenty years of practice' he added with a soft laugh.

'I _neve_ r want to hurt you...' Sara began.

'Shh. I know that, honey. Stop worrying' he whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

And with that, the couple settled in for a nice long snooze, snuggled close together, for better or for worse.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Sara came to, a soft droning sound in her ear and Neal's body pressed up tightly against her back, rubbing up rhythmically against her buttocks.

'Neal?' she muttered, wondering if he was awake or not.

He didn't answer but the guttural moaning and insistent stroking continued – the man was obviously in the throes of a very titillating dream, if nothing else.

'Neal' she said a little louder as he stirred, his hips rocking steadily against her, his moaning growing louder.

'Mmmm, mmmm' he mumbled in time with his thrusts as his hands got into the act, running up and down the side of her leg.

'Honey, wake up. You're dreaming' Sara grumbled impatiently as she tried to push him off her with a good stern shove of her bum.

'Huh?' Neal responded, promptly returning to the pleasant rhythmic movements which had been momentarily disrupted. Despite being half asleep, he seemed intent on responding to whatever his unconscious mind had been dictating to his nether parts.

'Stop it! It's the middle of the night' Sara uttered in annoyance, shooing his hand away and returning to the semi-foetal position she'd been previously curled up in.

'Mmmm, ba-by...' Neal muttered languidly, coming to and realizing reality could be just as pleasant as the erotic dream he'd just been having.

'Neeeal' she whined, not the least bit impressed by his persistence.

'C'mon' he whispered suggestively, his mouth up to her ear. ' _You're_ the one who woke _me_ up...'

'Because you're glued to me like a damn tattoo' she complained, now wide awake.

She turned to face him in the early morning light, his eyes boring into hers, pleading for her to make his dreams come true – well, at least the dream he'd been having.

'It's your fault, babe... _you_ do this to me' Neal cooed in an effort to get his wife to give in to his advances. He nuzzled her neck in an attempt to move on to less talking... and more loving.

'Right!' Sara said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 'Come on Caffrey, who was it you were dreaming about?' she asked, inquisition style.

Neal hesitated for a brief moment, just long enough for her to notice. ' _You_ – who else?' he said earnestly as he moved in to kiss her pouty mouth.

She laughed out loud at the look on his face; this guy could sell ice to an Eskimo.

'Tell me who you were _really_ dreaming about' she insisted, pushing him away. If she was going to let him have his way with her, she wanted to know who the hell he'd been fantasizing about.

Neal looked at her suspiciously; this was definitely one of those trick questions. If he told her he'd been dreaming about her, she'd accuse him of lying but if he told her the truth and admitted he'd been having some random erotic dream about that blonde woman who worked in the hardware aisle of their local Hope Depot, he wouldn't get _anything_ from her. Either way, he was screwed – or rather, _not_ screwed.

'I don't remember' he lied, staying firmly on the fence and trying to reach her lips with his mouth.

'You are _such_ a liar, Caffrey' she responded, playfully.

Now that she was seeing him squirm, she was starting to have fun – even if he _had_ woken her up from a deep sleep at the break of dawn on a Sunday morning. His constant rubbing up against her was having the desired effect but she didn't want to give in to him too easily – watching him feel guilty about some random dream he'd been having was way too much fun.

'I'll tell you who _I_ was dreaming about if you tell me who you were having dream sex with?' Sara purred, wrapping her arms around Neal's neck and kissing the corner of his mouth seductively.

'You first...' he mumbled, unsure if he was ever going to be able to climb out from the pile of crap he was currently buried under.

'O-kay...' Sara responded mischievously '...that French guy who works in the bakery at the Shop Rite' she lied, trying to reciprocate what he'd been putting _her_ through.

'What?' he said loudly, pulling out of her arms. 'That bald guy? With the weird mustache?'

She shrugged and raised her eyebrows suggestively. 'I think he's _cute_.'

She climbed onto Neal's lap, straddling him as he watched her, his eyes wide. She ran her hands up and down his chest and reached down to kiss him passionately, her mouth moving up against his ear.

'I'm ready if you are' she whispered before taking a slow, quivering breath 'You don't mind if I call you Armand, just this once, do you?'

WCWCWC

Mozzie showed up for breakfast – a regular occurrence on Sunday mornings; he knew there was always a hearty breakfast over at the Caffrey residence, compliments of Neal. After they'd had their fill of pancakes and eggs, Mozzie and Liam settled into the family room to play a few games in their ongoing tournament of 'Hockey Arcade'. They'd been playing the video game off and on for close to three years and kept careful stats of their victories – and upsets. Of course, despite Mozzie's attempts at trickery, Liam was onto him and even though the scales were tipped in Liam's favor, his loving uncle soldiered on, enjoying the challenge of trying to find ways to circumvent the rules.

By ten thirty, they were both comfortably settled on the couch while Sara and Neal finished up the last of the breakfast dishes.

'Did she say what time they were coming over?' Sara asked, reaching for the dishcloth.

'Sometime before lunch' Neal answered, looking very relaxed.

The last remaining shreds of tension from the last few days had all but disappeared from his face and his little romp in the sheets with his wife at daybreak seemed to have settled him. He gave Sara a knowing smile and a wink.

He'd been wondering how hard a line he should take with Caitlin. By anyone's standards, he could be forgiven if he decided to ban her from attending the school of art; after all, what she'd done was all but unforgiveable. And yet, the thought of cutting her off from one of the things that kept her sane seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. The detective had said something about Caitlin making restitution for her phony accusations and Neal wondered if getting her involved in helping out with the younger kids might be the way to go. He had a feeling the young woman would rise to the occasion if given the opportunity – or at least he _hoped_ so.

'How would you feel if I asked Caitlin to help Hope with her classes at the gallery?' he asked Sara, floating his idea before he pitched it to the teenager.

She let out a long suffering sigh. 'Are you sure that's a good idea?'

'I figure I could go one of two ways on this' Neal responded, leaning on the kitchen counter. 'I could totally shut her out which might lead to disastrous consequences for her or... I could give her one last chance to show what she's capable of... maybe change her life.'

He thought back to all those times Peter could have taken a hard line with _him_ – times when Neal had bent the rules or circumvented situations for his own selfish reasons. Everybody deserved another chance, no matter what they'd done. He had a fleeting thought for his mom and wondered if the principle applied to her; that, he was still working through.

Sara seemed to read his thoughts and she smiled at her husband in response. He was much more forgiving than she was – that, she already knew from years of sharing her life with him. Hell, he'd just proven it by setting aside the anger and resentment he'd felt towards her for what she'd done behind his back. She never wanted him to be anything less than the wonderful man he was.

She leaned in to touch his face. ' _You_ are an amazing man, Neal Caffrey' she said. 'Whatever you want, honey, I'm with you.'

They were interrupted by the doorbell and they exchanged glances as Neal called out to the two couch potatoes giggling in the family room.

'Keep it down guys, we've got company' he warned as he and Sara moved towards the front door.

Jo Thompson stood on their front porch with her arm wrapped around Caitlin Somersby's shoulder, smiling up at Neal as the teenager kept her eyes on the ground, obviously ashamed of what she'd done and uncertain as to how she would be received.

'Hi Neal!' Jo said as they stepped into the house.

'It's nice to see you again, Jo!' Neal responded as he smiled at the woman. 'I don't think you've ever met my wife, Sara' he added as Sara put out her hand to greet the woman.

'It's nice to meet you' answered Jo Thompson, looking expectantly over to her young charge.

'Hi Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey' Caitlin said, her voice quiet, her eyes finally moving tentatively to look at Neal.

He stepped aside to allow them entry into the house and herded everyone into the living room to sit and chat.

'Can I get you something to drink?' he asked before settling in on the couch next to Sara.

'No, that's fine. We don't want to take up too much of your time' Jo answered as she took a spot next to Caitlin on the loveseat.

The teenager had been a mess on the way over, finally grasping the potential repercussions of her actions and the trouble she could have caused her beloved art teacher. Jo had decided to stand by the teen and support her in this difficult situation; after all, Caitlin didn't have many adults around her she could trust.

Jo looked over expectantly at the teen; she had gotten herself into this situation and she, alone, needed to try and fix it by taking responsibility for what she'd done.

'Mr. Caffrey' Caitlin said, looking like the remorseful teenager she was. 'I'm so sorry for what I've done.'

Her eyes moved from the floor to Neal's face where she could see him staring back silently at her. He was holding Sara's hand and Caitlin realized that what she'd done, she'd done to both of them, not just to him.

'And Mrs. Caffrey, I know what I did was... well, it hurt you as well' Caitlin said, looking at Sara's poker face.

For Neal's sake, Sara was keeping mum although the dialogue presently running through her brain was more along the lines of: _'You little bitch, you almost ruined our lives with your stupid lies and I hope you rot in hell for what you did.'_

But instead, she smiled a small smile, intent on supporting Neal with whatever he felt was an appropriate course of action. Suddenly, Caitlin began to cry and she pulled out something from her jeans pocket, a small envelope which she held in her shaking hands. She'd decided that if she was going to have a hope in hell of being forgiven, she had to be able to live with herself and that meant coming clean about the things she'd taken from Sara's jewelry box the week before.

'You have both been very kind to me' she continued, her voice shaky '...and I know you must be very angry...'

She seemed to be losing her courage and Jo put an arm around her, urging her to follow through with her plans to confess to the theft.

'This belongs to you Mrs. Caffrey' she said, showing them the envelope as both Neal and Sara frowned, not understanding what Caitlin was talking about.

The young girl stood and handed over the small envelope to Sara who shook it open and recognized, in horror, her beloved pearl earrings as they fell into her hand. They were the ones Neal had given her on their wedding day – well, actually the replacements for the ones he'd given her on their wedding day – and she let out a gasp at the sight of them.

'I stole them when I was here last week' Caitlin continued, her voice shaky. She looked over at Jo who gave her a head nod; she needed to go all the way. '...and I also took a pair of sterling silver hoops that I... I... pawned to buy... to buy drugs.' Her voice was so quiet now that Neal and Sara had to strain to hear her.

She stood in front of the couple, looking so vulnerable and after a moment, Neal let go of Sara's hand and rose to face the teenager.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Caitlin stood trembling in front of her mentor, wondering if Neal was going to slap her face or hug her. He towered over the diminutive teen, his face stern and when he finally spoke, his voice echoed all the disappointment he'd been feeling towards Caitlin for being so impulsive and reckless – something _he_ knew all too well.

'Those earrings...' he began, pointing to Sara's hands '...I gave them to my wife on our wedding day almost twenty years ago.'

He waited for the information to seep into Caitlin's muddled mind.

'They mean a lot to her so that means they mean a lot to _me_.' He paused for effect before continuing. '...because when you care about someone else, you care about how they're feeling, what they're going through and you do anything you can to keep them from getting hurt.'

His eyes were glued to Caitlin's, searching for tells – for signs that she was genuinely sorry for all the trouble she'd caused. He watched as her bright blue eyes stared back, her lips trembling as she fought the onslaught of tears which he could see were imminent, real, honest to goodness regret for what she'd done. Suddenly, despite the anger and disappointment he was still feeling, Neal opened his arms and Caitlin melted into sobs as she went to him. Her body shook against his and he held her for a moment before pulling away to look into her eyes.

'What you did, Caitlin... it could have been a disaster for me, both personally and professionally to say nothing of what it would have done to my family' Neal said, trying hard to keep the anger out of his voice.

Neal didn't want to share the details of his past with her, needing to keep an appropriate distance between himself and his pupil but he knew from past experience that his words, if he chose them carefully, had the potential of turning her life around and that this moment in time provided him with a unique opportunity he couldn't ignore. She needed to take responsibility for what she'd done yet he wanted her to know that he was open to forgiving – if not forgetting – and finding a way to get past this impasse. He needed to believe that there was a solution to their present dilemma that didn't involve destroying either one of them or their relationship.

'Mrs. Caffrey and I worked very hard to save up so we could buy our own gallery and I've put blood, sweat and tears into the school of art so that kids like _you_ could have somewhere to go' he began, watching as Caitlin stood, transfixed.

'What you did... lying like that... it could have taken it all away from me – and from all those kids who _love_ coming to the school. Did you know that when you're accused of sexual misconduct with a minor, the authorities can come in and separate you from your kids? If I had been charged, they could have insisted that I stop living here because my son is a minor.'

Caitlin looked on in horror; she had never even thought of that possibility. She could hear Liam laughing in the distance and she realized how horrible it would have been for him to be separated from his dad.

'...and I might have lost my job as director of the school to say nothing of jail time' Neal continued, his voice tinged with disappointment.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' Caitlin whimpered as she started to cry again. She returned to sit next to Jo Thompson searching for comfort but the teacher sat there, impassive, letting the ugliness of the situation fully sink in for the wayward teen.

'Lies hurt people, Caitlin' Neal said, realizing the irony of the statement coming from an ex-conman like himself. For years, he'd conned _himself_ into thinking that his actions didn't have consequences for those around him but he'd learned the hard way that they most certainly did.

Caitlin sat there, taking it all in and realizing that what had begun as a mean spirited prank had the potential to ruin her teacher's life, the very man who had believed in her and had done so much to help her along.

Neal's words hung in the air and finally Jo spoke up, feeling the need to fill Neal in on what was going on in Caitlin's life.

'Neal, Caitlin has been asked to leave her foster home' the woman said as Neal's eyes grew in response.

'This is her third try and Social Services has decided that Caitlin's used up all her chances; she'll have to move into a group home, probably upstate' she explained.

'I'm sorry to hear that. What about your mom, Caitlin? I heard you were going to start seeing her again' Neal asked, concern obvious on his face.

Caitlin shook her head. 'No, she got arrested again...' she responded, her voice quiet.

'They've got a temporary spot for Caitlin in Brooklyn for a couple of weeks while they sort things out' Jo explained as Caitlin sobbed next to her, realizing that she had brought all this on herself.

'Can I still come to the school... until I leave' she asked, her voice pleading. 'Please! I'll do anything you ask me. I can help out, scrub toilets or help set up classes... anything.'

Neal watched as the young girl fell apart in front of his eyes. As much as he wanted to fix it all for her, he realized she would never learn anything if he went too easy on her. Although his instinct was to tell her that, of course, he would welcome her back to class, when he spoke, he took the time to weigh his words carefully.

'I'll think about it, Caitlin' he said, his heart breaking at the sight of the defeated teen.

'Well, I think that's very... generous of you, Neal' Jo said in lieu of Caitlin who had morphed into a bowl of jelly, unable to speak for herself.

'Why don't we talk again tomorrow' Neal said as Jo rose and reached out her hand to Caitlin to help her off the couch.

'Thank you' Caitlin said meekly as she prepared to leave.

They walked to the door, Sara taking Neal's hand in solidarity, and they watched as Caitlin turned to say goodbye.

'Mr. Caffrey, if you give me another chance, I promise to make you proud of me' she said with clarity.

Neal swallowed hard to retain his composure, seeing himself in those lost blue eyes. He heard himself saying those very same words to Peter all those years ago...

He nodded as the teen turned to leave.

WCWCWC

The peace of mind Neal had temporarily found when he'd gotten up that morning seemed to slowly evaporate as the day wore on. He'd been struggling with what Sara had confided in him about his mom and the situation with Caitlin had left him uncertain as to the best course of action for the troubled teen.

After dinner on Sunday, Neal found himself alone with Hope down in the studio as they both resumed projects they'd been working on: she, a landscape from the cottage that had been commissioned by one of their regular customers at the gallery and he, a painting of Liam and Cody as they'd worked together in the Miller backyard. He was trying to finish the piece before the following weekend so he could surprise his son with it when they all went out to celebrate his fourteenth birthday. The mood grew quiet in the studio as the two of them worked in silence and after a while, Neal spoke up, wanting to see how Hope felt about the situation with Caitlin.

'So, what do you think about me letting Caitlin come back to school?' he asked as he put down his paintbrush and turned towards his daughter.

'You mean come back to class?' she asked, sitting on a nearby stool.

'Yeah, but I need to put her to work. Did I tell you she stole a couple of pairs of Mom's earrings when she was over last week?' he asked as Hope dropped her paintbrush and turned to face her dad.

'You're kidding! Wow, that takes guts; right under our noses' she said with obvious disappointment.

Neal raised an eyebrow in response as he thought back to how brazen he'd been when he was younger, unaware and indifferent to the consequences of his actions.

'She returned one pair but she pawned the other one so she could buy those drugs' he added as Hope sighed.

'She's one messed up kid, isn't she Dad?' Hope said.

Neal shrugged. 'I was pretty messed up too when I was her age and if your uncle Peter and your mom hadn't been there when I finally got out of jail...' he let the words hang in the air. 'Anyway, I was wondering if you would agree to let her help you with the kiddie class you have at the gallery and maybe she could be your assistant for the Thursday night class at school.'

'Sure, that would be fine' answered Hope, standing and walking towards her dad. She put her arms around his waist and pulled him to her, feeling an urgent need to let him know just how much she loved him.

'Daddy, I think you're amazing!' she said as Neal felt a lump in his throat and swallowed hard.

He brought his hand up to her hair and held her close. 'I think it's the right thing to do, sweet pea' he said softly.

WCWCWC

By the time he was lying in bed that night, gently running his hand through Sara's hair, things had begun to crystallize for Neal and he was feeling compelled to move ahead with the two issues that had been weighing so heavily on his mind.

His latest question had left Sara speechless and after a few seconds, she finally ventured a response.

'Oh, Neal... I don't know... that's... just, so... it's such a _big_ decision' she finally said in response.

'I know it is... but will you think about it? Please. I think we could do a lot of good for her that way' he said as Sara sighed heavily.

'And I've given this thing with my mom a lot of thought' Neal continued, changing the subject. 'I'd like to go see her.'

He'd been thinking about all the valid points Sara had made when they'd talked over lunch the previous day and although his feelings were still raw, he now realized he needed to let go of some of the anger that had resurfaced since his mom had reached out to him.

'Really?' Sara said, pleasantly surprised at Neal's revelation.

She felt him nodding against her. 'Will you come with me?'

Sara turned to look at his face, seeing those lines on his forehead that appeared whenever Neal was trying to work something out or was worried about something. She ran her hand gently over the creases that had formed there, hoping to make them disappear, to no avail.

' _Of course_ I'll come with you... if that's what you want' she answered with a gentle smile.

'I do. And I really want to go this week, before I... before I lose my nerve' he added tentatively. 'Can you take a day off work?'

'Sure, that's no problem. Would you like me to set it all up?' she asked.

'That'd be great. The sooner the better, honey' Neal whispered, hugging her.

Facing his mom after almost forty years apart was overwhelming. He was feeling vulnerable and he needed to keep his feelings of helplessness in check; he didn't want to give her that power although he was starting to realize that, she too, would be anxious about seeing him again.

'I know how difficult this decision must have been for you, sweetie. But I think you'll feel liberated once you two talk it out, once and for all' Sara said reassuringly as Neal nodded in agreement.

'You're right. I just can't keep shoving those feeling aside' he said as his mind wandered to what that encounter might look like.

Sara's heart suddenly felt lighter; she anticipated that both Linda Caffrey and her son would be free of the shackles of guilt, anger and resentment once they sat together to listen to each other's perspective on what had transpired all those years ago. As with everything else in life, there were two sides to the proverbial coin and being able to truly listen to someone else pour their heart out to you was a good way to break down barriers – even old, seemingly insurmountable ones like the one that had kept this mother and son apart for all those years.

'I'll be there with you, Neal' Sara whispered as she ran a loving hand on his cheek.

He gave her a smile; part comfort and part apprehension.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

'What's with this 'family meeting'?' Liam asked as he and his sister drove home after his day at school.

'I have _no_ idea' Hope admitted. 'Dad just said it was important that we all be there for dinner – said he has something important he wants to run by us.'

The intensity with which Neal had spoken when he'd called the family together led them to believe that something major was afoot and Hope wondered if her dad hadn't finally decided to go to St. Louis to meet his mom.

'Do you think maybe he wants to tell us he's decided to go meet with his mom?' Liam asked as Hope gave him a puzzled look.

She didn't think he'd even noticed that their parents had had a fight; he hadn't been home the night they'd had their big blow up and Liam always seemed to be in his own little bubble, especially lately.

'What?' he said as he looked at his sister's surprised face. 'I _see_ stuff...'

'I know you do, squirt' she began, once the surprise had passed. 'It's just that you've had a lot on your mind lately and I didn't think you'd even noticed that Mom and Dad had been fighting.'

It was Liam's turn to give his sister a dirty look. 'I _am_ a part of this family, you know...' he said, with mock hurt.

'I didn't mean _that_...' Hope began '...it's just that you're...quiet and with you, it's all happening right under the surface; I never know what's going on in that head of yours.'

She ruffled his hair playfully as he ducked, laughing.

'Keep your eyes on the road there, Mellon girl' he teased right back.

WCWCWC

'I booked our plane tickets today' Sara said simply as she and Neal stood in their kitchen, getting dinner ready. 'Are you sure you want to do this?'

Neal nodded. 'Yeah, I'm sure' he answered. 'Did you talk to her?'

'I did' Sara responded as she turned to face her husband. 'She's thrilled but... I could tell she was nervous. She's arranged for us to have lunch together in the dining room at the retirement home. Our plane gets in at about eleven so...'

Silence fell on the busy kitchen, the sound of the pendulum from the grandfather clock in the nearby dining room the only noise in the quiet house as Neal's thoughts turned to the reason he'd asked the kids to be home for dinner.

'What do you think the kids will say?' Neal asked as he finished setting the table.

Sara could see the apprehension in every one of her husband's movements, an unusual occurrence for the typically cool-as-a-cucumber ex-con.

'Probably the same thing _I_ said at first' Sara responded '...but they'll come around.'

Neal stopped what he was doing and walked over to where Sara stood, cutting up vegetables for a salad; Raffie at their feet, hoping for wayward pieces of food to drop to the floor.

'Thank you' he whispered, lacing his arms around her waist, and placing his chin on her shoulder. 'I know that I'm asking an awful lot...'

'I'm used to it' she said playfully as she turned to face him.

She ran her hand up and down his cheek. 'You are such a wonderful, generous man, Neal Caffrey. How could I possibly stand in the way of doing what's right.'

'But this affects _you_ just as much as it affects me – ' he began before Sara interrupted.

'We are in this _together_ , Caffrey. Don't you know that by now?' she asked, gazing into his grateful eyes.

Throughout their almost nineteen years of marriage, they'd learned to respect each other and be in tune with the other's wants and needs – and seeing Neal happy had become the most important thing in Sara Ellis' life just as her happiness had become paramount for Neal.

He smiled his megawatt smile in response and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss as Raffie whined nearby, obviously in need of some attention himself.

'I don't know what I'd do without you, Repo' Neal said, his voice full of emotion.

She really _was_ his rock, the one person he could count on above all others and he couldn't imagine his life without her there by his side, every single day. Sara's eyes crinkled as she smiled back at this amazing man in her arms – always there for her and their children. How could she _not_ support him when he always aspired to do the right thing – no matter how difficult that 'right thing' might turn out to be.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of the front door and the comforting voices of Hope and Liam wafting through the house - obviously in the middle of some heated discussion about something or other.

'It was NOT!' they heard Liam say.

Raffie's tail began to wag madly and he galloped to meet the dynamic duo at the door.

'You are _so_ full of it!' Hope could be heard saying in the distance, her voice full of mischievousness and affection.

Neal winked at Sara and returned to the task of getting dinner on the table.

WCWCWC

'Look, Dad, this is all very nice but Liam and I are dying to know why it was so important for us to be here for dinner' Hope said as she took another bite of the delicious quiche on her plate (was that a piece of asparagus her dad had tried to sneak in?)

Neal had been apprehensive about diving into the subject but apparently, the time had arrived to come clean. He gave Sara a surreptitious glance and took a deep breath before beginning to speak.

'Well, now that this ugly mess with Caitlin is behind us...' Neal began, sounding uncharacteristically nervous. 'Well, your mom and I... we've been talking about ways we could help Caitlin – so she can get her life back on track.'

Hope and Liam listened in silence, both of them wondering what all this was leading to. Hope had already agreed to work with the teen at the gallery – is _that_ what this was all about?

'After everything that's happened... well, Caitlin got thrown out of her foster parents' house' Sara added; it was important that the kids know that she and Neal had come to this decision _together_ , and that they were united in what they were about to propose.

'... and that's her _third_ strike, so she's burned that bridge' Neal added. 'Social Services don't want to try to find another home for her so they've decided to send her away... to live in a group home somewhere upstate.'

Hope let out a sigh; as exasperating as the teen's behavior was, she felt sorry for her. The kid had a good heart and amazing talent but she hadn't gotten the breaks that she and Liam had been lucky enough to have in life. She looked at her parents, realizing how lucky they both were to have been born to Sara Ellis and Neal Caffrey.

'Your dad and I... well, we'd like to apply to Social Services to become foster parents for Caitlin...' Sara blurted out, before she lost her nerve. '...just until she's an adult.'

Neal watched Liam and Hope's faces for clues as to their reactions but they both just sat there, mouth dropping at the bombshell they'd just heard.

'The system has given up on Caitlin and I... well, _we_...' he added as he looked over at Sara '... _we_ don't want to give up on her.'

'Wow, Dad!' Liam said, as he put down his fork. 'I didn't see _that_ one coming.'

'But we don't want to do this if you guys aren't on board' Neal added hastily. 'This would be a huge commitment for _all_ of us and we need to think carefully before we even put in on the table as an option.'

He was well aware that the conclusion he and Sara had finally arrived at – after hours of discussion – needed to be validated by the whole family. Adding another member to the household would affect everyone – even Hope who didn't live at home full time. In order to go ahead with the crazy scheme, everyone had to be involved in the final decision – after all, the repercussions would be felt by each and every member of the family unit and neither Neal nor Sara was prepared to upset their family dynamics, regardless of how much they wanted to do this.

It took a few minutes, but Liam was the first to speak up, breaking the heavy silence.

'It's fine with me' he said in his usual laid-back way.

'Where would you set her up? Would you put her in _my_ room?' Hope asked spontaneously, realizing how selfish and petty she sounded.

'Well, your dad and I talked about _that_ ' Sara admitted '...we could revive those plans we had for renovating the attic.'

There was a fleeting look of sadness on Neal's face as he recalled the plans they'd made for a fourth bedroom when Sara had unexpectedly gotten pregnant seven years before; after all that time, he was still sad when he thought about that little baby girl they'd lost.

'That's silly, Mom' Hope answered, coming to her senses. 'Why don't you just give her my room; after all, I'm away most of the year.'

'Well, we could talk about sleeping arrangements later but for now, we want to know how you'd feel about having Caitlin living here with us' Sara said, sensing that Neal was getting emotional.

'I think it's a wonderful, generous thing to do' said Hope, with a smile as she reached out to touch her dad's hand.

He'd grown quiet and she could see the emotions peeking through his clear blue eyes. The touch brought Neal back to the present and he smiled at his daughter, grateful for having such great kids.

'Caitlin will turn 18 in a couple of years and once she's legally an adult, she might choose to go off on her own' Neal explained.

The kids nodded and Sara looked on, realizing that the decision they were on the verge of making would have life-changing, long-lasting repercussions on their family life. If they were given the green light by Social Services, they would become the surrogate parents of a very unruly, strong willed young girl who would challenge them in ways they had never been challenged by their own kids, yet she believed they were doing the right thing by Caitlin and by the same token, teaching their kids a very valuable life lesson about paying it forward.

She and Neal had been up late into the night discussing the conditions under which such an arrangement might work. There would be rules Caitlin would need to agree to before she even stepped into the house – _plenty_ of rules; the same ones that applied to their own kids. It had to be made crystal clear that there would be zero tolerance for illegal activities of any kind: stealing, drugs or skipping school and Caitlin would have to walk a straight line in order to maintain the privilege of sharing their family life. Despite the safeguards they would put in place, the thought of raising such an impulsive, boisterous teenager was terrifying and yet, Sara knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Caitlin, giving her one last chance at a productive life and steering her away from a potential life of crime.

'Guys, if we agree to do this and the authorities and Caitlin agree, there'll be no turning back. Are you sure you're okay with this? We don't want to rush you into anything... but the authorities will be making decisions about Caitlin's future over the next few days if we don't speak up' Neal said.

Liam and Hope stood and made their way to stand between their parents, putting their arms around each of them so they were one solid unit instead of four distinct individuals.

'Were good, huh, Liam?' Hope asked as she kissed her mom's cheek.

Liam nodded and Neal let out a sigh of relief.

Although he had no idea what they were _really_ getting into, he felt that, together, they owed it to Caitlin and to themselves to give this a try.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Miranda Cross sat, bleary eyed, at her desk at the New York Regional Office of Children and Family Services, staring down at an all too familiar case file. She took a sip of the coffee she'd picked up on her way to the office and cursed as the scalding brew burned the roof of her mouth. She'd been up late helping her teenage son with his science project for school and now, she was lamenting his chronic lack of organization and his propensity for procrastination; how was it that _his_ homework always seemed to morph into _her_ homework?

She couldn't believe that Caitlin Somersby had blown things with her latest foster family after Miranda had worked so hard to get her the placement in the first place. On top of that, the kid had managed to get herself kicked out of the art program, that had been her saving grace, by falsely accusing the director of the school of sexual abuse.

She shook her head as she thought of the unruly teenager who'd been on her active caseload for the past couple of years. She really liked the kid but she was exasperating and hard to manage and now, the social worker was facing the unsavory prospect of shipping her off to one of their group homes in upstate New York, an overly-structured environment reminiscent of boot camp where Caitlin's existence would be tightly regimented, something she knew for a fact the teen would rebel against the first chance she got. Miranda's hope that the teen's mom might be well enough to spend some time with her had evaporated the week before when she'd gotten the call informing her that the woman had been arrested – again – this time for petty theft.

Kids like Caitlin were the reason Miranda had gone into social work in the first place. As a child, she'd been in the foster care system herself and she'd had the amazing opportunity of having been placed in a loving, caring family environment she still called 'home'. She _believed_ in the system; the secret was the match, getting the right foster family for the right kid and over the years, she'd become an expert at intuitively knowing if a pairing had the potential of becoming successful – in other words, she was a chicken sexer for wayward kids.

Unfortunately, she'd had an inkling from the start that the Stewarts weren't the ideal family for Caitlin but she'd held her nose and plunged ahead – let's just say there hadn't been a lot to choose from on behalf of the rebellious teen who had already burned two excellent opportunities at a happy family life.

She couldn't quite believe that the very teacher the teen had falsely accused was in the waiting room with his wife, asking to meet with her and inquiring about foster care.

She took one more sip of the strong coffee and picked up her phone, dialing the extension for her colleague in intake. 'Jane, you can send Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey in.'

WCWCWC

Neal and Sara sat in the lobby of the OCFS, hoping that the social worker assigned to Caitlin's case would agree to meet with them without an appointment. Even before they'd made the decision to apply for foster parent status, Neal had worried about whether or not they would be deemed suitable candidates. Before meeting with Caitlin and proposing their plan, the Caffreys needed to know if they would even be considered, considering his past criminal record. Neal let out a sigh and Sara glanced over giving her husband a small private smile. She knew how he still agonized about the poor choices he'd made in his youth and how, years later, those choices continued to haunt him at every turn, threatening to bite him in the ass.

'It'll be fine, honey' she said as she took his hand. 'You saw what it said online – having a criminal record doesn't _automatically_ disqualify you from becoming a foster parent; it depends on the nature of the offense.'

Neal gave her a forced smile and rolled his eyes as he squeezed her hand.

'Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey?' they heard 'Ms Cross will see you now.'

WCWCWC

'I had no idea that the process could be so gruelling' Sara said as they sat in the car, heading back towards downtown Manhattan.

'Well, they're not going to hand over the well-being of a child to just anyone' Neal responded.

'Are you sure you still want to go through with this?' she asked.

'More than ever. You?' Neal answered.

Sara nodded emphatically. 'What time is Caitlin coming over to the school?'

'I asked Jo to bring her over after classes. Can you be there?' Neal asked as he glanced over at his wonderful wife.

Now that they'd been reassured that Neal's criminal past wasn't a deterrent to them becoming foster parents, Neal was breathing normally again. Even though the road seemed long and they might not be able to welcome Caitlin into their home for several weeks yet, Sara and Neal were feeling equal to the task. But, before they did anything, they wanted to run things by the teenager, just as Social Services would, to make certain she was on board with the plan.

'Of course I'll be there. I'll meet up with you at... say 4:30?' she said as Neal pulled up in front of the Sterling Bosch offices.

Just before stepping out of the car, Sara turned to face Neal, placing a reassuring peck on his cheek. 'Don't worry honey, we can do this.'

WCWCWC

'Sir, I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for this child' Miranda Cross said as she stood in front of her boss' desk.

James Dixon eyed her suspiciously. 'Why are you proposing we fast track this one?' he asked as he glanced down at the intake form Miranda had just filled out with the prospective foster parents.

'Sir, this child is scheduled to go to Five Oaks in a couple of weeks' she said as she watched her boss grimace.

Everybody knew that Five Oaks was the last stop before a life on the streets, complete with the likelihood of drug or alcohol abuse, itinerancy and in many cases, a life of crime. The place had a reputation for being hard ass, catering to the worst of the worst, kids who'd been rejected by the system – it was a holding tank until kids turned eighteen and could be released from the system, free to unleash their mischief on an unsuspecting world.

'She's almost sixteen and time is running out if we want to have a positive outcome for her' she said, her voice shrill. 'This kid has potential, sir, and this family has miraculously come forward to take her in. This is an uncanny opportunity for her and I _really_ want to give her one last kick at the can before we completely give up on her.'

Dixon eyed the woman up and down; she was the brightest member of his team and he had faith in her judgement. He had a mountain of files on his desk and he didn't have the time for long, drawn-out discussions when so many kids needed their attention.

'Fine!' he said dismissively, handing over the file. 'Put it in motion.'

'Thank you sir' Miranda said calmly, trying to contain her excitement in front of her superior. She turned the corner, headed back to her office, and let out a hoot and a celebratory fist pump.

WCWCWC

Neal's mind was chugging along at a hundred miles an hour and yet, it had nothing to do with the pile of paperwork on his desk, begging for his attention. Instead, his focus was on the Foster Parents Guide that Miranda Cross had asked them to read before she got back in touch with them. There was a lengthy home study, consent forms to be signed, health and medical forms for all members of the family and most importantly a comprehensive training program for prospective foster parents. The last thing Neal and Sara wanted was for the bureaucracy to slow things down to the point that Caitlin would be shipped off to parts unknown before they could be certified. Miranda Cross had been encouraging and she'd promised the Caffreys to do everything she could to push their application to the front of the line in light of Caitlin's dire situation.

It was just past noon, when his phone rang; 'OCFS' Neal read on the display and he took a long, slow steadying breath before answering.

'Mr. Caffrey' Miranda Cross said, her voice upbeat. 'I have good news. Our director has agreed to fast-track your application so that Caitlin isn't penalized.'

Neal wasn't sure exactly what 'fast-tracking' entailed but his pulse began to race and his heart rate increased as he listened.

'If you are willing to spend some time with me this week, we can get through the main portions of the home study and I've managed to sneak you into a training session which takes place next Saturday and Sunday' she said, her voice excited.

'Wow! That's great... I think' Neal said, breathless. 'How long would the whole process take?'

'Normally, we're looking at a couple of months but if all goes well with the home study and you can get the required medical examinations and other documentation in, we could be talking a couple of weeks.'

'That's wonderful' Neal said, realizing things were moving quickly.

'Of course, we have to do everything by the book but if we're both willing to work fast... well, it _can_ be done' she added.

'My wife and I were going to meet with Caitlin and talk to her about it before we go any further' Neal said, uncertain where that fit into the process.

'Caitlin is a minor but she is certainly more than capable of expressing her wishes. If you don't mind, I'd like to be there when you meet with her and we can kill two birds with one stone' said the social worker.

If Neal's mind had been racing before the call, it was now spiraling out of control and he took a long cleansing breath before picking up the phone to call Sterling Bosch.

WCWCWC

Mozzie arrived at the June Ellington School of Art carrying a couple of vanilla lattes and a bag of custard creams. He took his place in front of Neal's desk, noting with surprise that his ex-partner in crime's demeanor was far from the calm, cool and collected behavior he'd always known.

'Maybe I should have made this decaf' he commented as he handed Neal a cup, noticing his buddy's hands were shaking.

He wasn't sure exactly why Neal had summoned him but he suspected Neal (or most likely Sara) had observed some of the goings on up in Liam's room the day before as Mozzie had visited the Caffrey home. As always, Mozzie had been up to his old tricks and he'd spent most of Sunday afternoon initiating his godson to the fine – and slowly disappearing – _art_ of picking pockets, using June's trusty old practice jacket which he'd inherited after she'd passed away.

Disappointingly, Liam still hadn't made use of _any_ of the techniques Mozzie had taught him thus far but he continued to hold out hope for his godson – he was half-Neal, after all (it was the half-Sara part that Mozzie worried about).

He figured the best way to avoid a harsh tongue lashing from his best friend was to come clean regarding the subterfuge and keep his fingers crossed that Neal would go easy on him.

'Look, Neal...' he began as he put his feet up on the desk 'I know you're not thrilled about the pick-pocket thing...' he began as he noticed the look of confusion in Neal's eyes.

'The pick-pocket thing?' Neal repeated slowly, putting two and two together and shaking his head in rebuke.

'I mean... you know, I was teaching Liam how to... how to _protect_ himself from pickpockets' Mozzie lied as Neal rolled his eyes and shook his head.

'Moz, if Sara catches you teaching Liam – ' Neal began as Mozzie interrupted.

'I know, I know I'll be banished from Sunday dinner for another month' Mozzie said dejectedly, as he recalled the time Sara had walked in and caught him coaching Liam on how to use an illegal lock pick set to break into his parents' bedroom.

'It's your funeral, Moz' Neal said as he took a sip of coffee.

He seemed to relax a bit and he looked over at Mozzie, a product of the foster care system gone haywire. He'd hoped his buddy could give him some insight into navigating the complicated system.

'Moz, Sara and I are applying to become foster parents' Neal stated flatly.

'Really?' Mozzie answered with a smile on his face. 'For that little brat who accused you of sexually molesting her?'

Neal narrowed his eyes at Mozzie's lack of sensitivity.

'Sorry... I just think... Well, you're a lot more forgiving than I would be' he clarified.

'Well, she needs help Moz... and we don't want to turn our backs on her' Neal explained.

'Didn't she steal some stuff when she was over at your place last week?' Mozzie asked, wondering if this kid might not be a worthy candidate for his training program.

'Look Moz, if we _are_ cleared as foster parents for Caitlin, you have to walk a _very_ straight line. They'll be wanting to know about everyone who comes in and out of our home.'

' _The most beautiful words in the English language are 'not guilty'_ Mozzie quoted

'O.J Simpson?' Neal asked, frowning

'Maxim Gorky' Mozzie corrected. 'There is _no_ criminal record of me anywhere, Neal. Don't worry.'

'Well, you might be innocent on paper, Moz... but this kid needs honest to goodness rules and plenty of them' Neal said sternly.

'Got it!' Mozzie answered.

He watched as Neal's face grew serious.

'Neal?' he said, after a moment.

Neal looked up to meet his old friend's eyes.

'I think what you're doing is great!' said the little boy in Mozzie.

'Thanks Moz!'

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Neal placed a jug of water and some glasses on the table of the small conference room that doubled as a staff room at the June Ellington School of Art. It was 4:20 and his guests would be arriving any minute; he just hoped Sara got there first – he was badly in need of a reassuring hug before they all sat down to discuss Caitlin Somersby's future.

Right on cue, he heard his wife's voice out in the hallway, talking to one of the staff and he made his way to the doorway to greet her as she turned the corner.

'Hi honey' she said with a comforting smile. 'Am I the first one here?'

'Thankfully' Neal said as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight.

She laughed at the force with which he'd pulled her in, running her hands up and down his back.

'Everything's going to be fine, Neal!' she said in his ear, squeezing back.

'Are you sure about this?' he asked as he pulled away to look into her eyes. 'We can still back out; it's not too late.'

Neal's concern that he might have talked Sara into something she really wasn't prepared for had continued to haunt him all day. This was way too important a decision to be made under duress.

'Have you ever known me to do _anything_ I didn't want to do?' she answered with a touch of playfulness.

He laughed; Sara Ellis was the most pig headed person he'd ever met, stubborn, fiery, determined... she couldn't even be talked into something as innocuous as rocky road if her mind had been set on pistachio.

He stared back at her smiling face, his apprehension slowly fading as he let her calm exterior wash over him. He just wanted everything to go smoothly and for things to work out in Caitlin's best interest.

Within moments, the troubled teenager arrived with Jo Thompson in tow. Her favorite high school teacher had been her rock over the past few days and Neal was glad that she hadn't given up on the young girl, even in her darkest hour.

Caitlin had made an effort to clean up – as much as a 15 year old can clean up. She was wearing tailored pants instead of the loose fitting jeans that usually hung off her hips and her hair had been pushed away from her face into a ponytail, showing off her bright blue eyes and sculptured features. If anything, she looked even younger – and more innocent – and there was something about her that reminded Sara of her sister Emily at that age.

'Hi Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey' the teen said cheerfully, trying to cover up the anxiety that seemed to be lurking right under the surface. She had no idea what the verdict would be regarding her status as a student of the school of art; for all she knew she was about to find out she was being booted out for good.

'Hi Caitlin' the Caffreys said in harmony, smiling at the momentary awkwardness of having spoken at the same time.

'Why don't you take a seat' Neal suggested. 'We've got one more person joining us.'

Caitlin looked over at Jo Thompson, hoping for some explanation but the woman just shrugged indicating that this was news to her as well. They had just settled in when Miranda Cross appeared in the doorway, carrying a briefcase and a sporting a wide grin.

'Ms Cross!' Caitlin said as she stood, obviously surprised to see the social worker standing there. 'What are _you_ doing here?'

'Hello Caitlin' the woman said kindly as she took a seat at the head of the table.

Jo touched Caitlin's arm, urging her to take a seat; although she'd never met the mystery woman, it was obvious that her appearance had somehow destabilized the teen. Jo turned the name over in her mind a few times, finally remembering that Caitlin had mentioned the woman in passing – she was the patient social worker who'd worked hard to keep tabs on the teen.

Miranda looked around the room, her eyes resting on Jo and she smiled as she introduced herself; she'd heard about Caitlin's favorite teacher at Thornhill High School, thankful the troubled teen had an ally she could count on.

As spontaneous as ever, Caitlin spoke up, out of turn. Seeing everybody around the table was making her nervous and she began to fear the worst. Maybe Mr. Caffrey wanted her punished and sent away – or worse yet, arrested.

'Am I in trouble?' she asked.

'Caitlin, everyone around this table cares a great deal about you and what happens to you' Miranda Cross assured her. 'You should know that Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey came to see me this morning.'

At that, Caitlin's eyes grew in fear – this couldn't possibly be good news. Sara, who sat to the girl's left noticed her twitch in response and in a surprising move for the usually poker faced insurance investigator, she touched the girl's arm before speaking.

'Neal... Mr. Caffrey and I' she corrected 'went to see Ms Cross to find out about the possibility of... of having you come and stay with us.'

Caitlin's face dropped, her mouth open and strange little lines appeared on her forehead. 'You mean... until I have to go away to boot camp?'

Miranda looked over at Neal, encouraging him to speak up and put the poor kid out of her misery.

'No, Caitlin. For good. We would like to apply to be your foster parents' Neal began as a loud gasp was heard escaping from the teen's mouth.

'That's if you think you might... want that' Sara added as everyone sat staring, waiting for Caitlin's reaction.

'But...why?' was all that came out of the teen's mouth, and it sounded more like a croak than anything else.

Jo Thompson sat transfixed, her eyes going from Neal's to Sara's as she realized what an incredible opportunity they were giving the young girl they all hoped to bring back from the brink of disaster. Despite her malicious actions, Neal had managed to see past the hurt she'd caused him and focus on the teen's future and wellbeing.

Miranda Cross' job, as chicken sexer, was to watch the interactions between the Caffreys and the young girl and she could see by the look of Caitlin's face that she was thrilled at the prospect of getting another chance.

The teen caught her breath and added. 'Does that mean I can come back to the school?' she asked, realizing how silly her question sounded as everyone broke out in nervous laughter.

'If you decide you'd like to come and live with us and... if we're approved as foster parents then, yeah, of course, you can come back to the school' Neal said as he watched Catlin's reaction.

A huge grin broke out on the teen's face as the shock began to wear off and she started to realize what was going on.

'You mean, I could live with you? In your house? With the rest of your family?' she asked, needing to clarify things further.

'You would become _part_ of our family' Sara explained as she looked into the teen's eyes.

'Is that something you would like, Caitlin?' Miranda Cross asked.

'Duh!' she said in her own inimitable way. 'But, why?' she asked, returning to her original question.

Why would someone who she'd tried to hurt be so kind in return; it didn't compute. Her eyes went to Neal, seeing the warmth and kindness there, the same look she always saw when she looked at him.

'Caitlin, no matter what you might think, _you_ are a great kid. You're resourceful, smart, talented... and you haven't had many good breaks in your life. We'd like to give you a chance to turn that around. None of us here believe that going to a group home is in your best interest' Neal said.

'But...' Miranda Cross spoke '... there would be some serious ground rules. You wouldn't be going to live with the Caffreys to continue with the shenanigans of the last few weeks.'

Caitlin nodded enthusiastically. 'Anything' she said, finally realizing that this was probably her last opportunity to show what she could do.

'I promise! I'll make you both so proud of me' she added in all sincerity as she looked from Neal to Sara.

Once again, Neal thought of all those times he'd intended to do good by Peter and how easy it had been to fall into the same old patterns of cutting corners and returning to his impulsive, self-indulgent behavior. Although he could hear the sincerity in Caitlin's voice, he knew all too well that the road ahead would be anything but easy.

'Well, we don't expect you to be perfect' Sara chimed in. 'Nobody is... but there _are_ rules in our house and you need to follow them just like Hope and Liam need to.'

Caitlin was nodding madly and suddenly in an uncharacteristic show of emotion, she threw her arms around Sara's neck, squealing as everyone started to laugh.

'Caitlin, there are still some requirements the Caffreys need to meet before this can all be official and it's going to take a couple of weeks to get everything sorted out but if _this_ is what you want –'

Caitlin interrupted. 'It is!' she shouted emphatically.

'- if this is what you want' Miranda continued, her voice deliberate '...then we'll all get to work on pushing the paperwork through as quickly as possible.'

'Can I come and visit you in the meantime?' Caitlin asked anxiously looking at Neal and Sara. It was obvious she wasn't looking forward to returning to the group home where she'd spent the previous night.

Neal and Sara looked over at Miranda questioningly.

'Sure, if the Caffreys want to invite you over to their house for a visit, you can do that' the social worker answered to Caitlin's delight.

'We can talk about that' Neal answered as he looked over at his wife for validation.

'Sure' she said. 'We've got a family outing on Wednesday night and you're more than welcome to come along.'

Neal watched Sara in wonder. Of course, she was doing all this for Caitlin, to try to bring her back from the edge – but he knew all too well, that she was also doing it for him. She knew how important this was to him and he knew that in the months and years to come, she'd be cursing at times for putting herself in this situation but nevertheless, here she was, committing to this all-important change in their lives without hesitation and in that moment, he loved her all the more for it.

'Look, why don't I let you work out the details' Miranda said as she prepared to leave.

She stood, and her face, which had been relaxed and cheery up to this point, suddenly became serious as she turned to face Caitlin.

'Caitlin' she said, wanting to make sure she had the young woman's full attention. 'This is a unique opportunity you've been given here; I sincerely hope you won't blow it. But, I'll tell you what this is _not_. This is _not_ a free pass. Your behavior lately has been deplorable and unacceptable and make no mistake, if it hadn't been for Neal and Sara Caffrey showing up at my office this morning, you would be on the next bus to boot camp.'

Caitlin's eyes widened at what had just been said, looking too shocked to speak.

'If you step out of line – just _once_ – I will personally drive myself out to White Plains and drag your sorry little ass to Five Oaks and I will _not_ be looking back' she continued, her face stern. 'Have I made myself perfectly clear?'

Caitlin stared ahead, stunned. It took a moment but she seemed to regain her composure. 'Yes ma'am' she answered softly.

The social worker then turned to Neal and Sara before speaking. 'I'll be at your house at 7:00 tomorrow night so we can get started on your home study' she added.

Neal smiled in response; he was glad to have an ally like Miranda Cross in their corner – a badass social worker who would have scared the bejesus out of him if he'd come face to face with her back when he was Caitlin's age.

'See you then' he said with a smile, just a little scared of her himself.

She gave him a friendly wink as she prepared to leave – they were united in this mission to help Caitlin Somersby navigate the next few years of her life so that she could become a responsible, caring adult.

A huge mission, indeed.

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Peter Burke sat at his desk at the Raphael Gallery, his mind wandering as Cameron and Hope saw to the customers who were milling around the store. He checked his watch again, anxious for noon to roll around. Neal had promised to drop by so they could go to lunch and he was looking forward to hearing the details relating to his trip to St. Louis and their major family decision. Hope had given him the broad strokes but Peter was anxious to hear it from Neal's lips.

Peter worried about his best friend, always had, feeling the need to look out for him despite the fact that Neal was a middle-aged man who was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and his family. Their relationship had always had that big brother, little brother vibe and Neal still turned to Peter for advice whenever he was working things out – especially if he didn't want to worry Sara about something.

For his part, Peter just wanted Neal to be happy; he was a gentle soul that life's hardships had almost succeeded in destroying and the ex-FBI agent had always felt a certain responsibility to look out for his best friend ever since that day all those years ago when he'd sprung him from Sing Sing.

'Uncle Peter?' Hope interrupted, pulling him out of his thoughts.

'What is it, Hope?' he asked, looking up at his goddaughter.

'Do you have that invoice for Mr. Albright? He's coming in right after lunch' she said, noticing a faraway look in his eyes.

'Yeah, yeah, right here' he said as he searched a pile of papers on his desk.

'Is anything wrong?' Hope asked.

'No, no, nothing's wrong. It's just... your dad did say he was coming by, right?' Peter asked with a look of concern.

'Yeah... for lunch. You sure you're alright?' she asked as she touched his shoulder.

'I just worry about him, that's all' he volunteered with a small smile. 'Old habits die hard.'

'He's fine. Dad's a lot more resilient that you give him credit for, you know' said Hope, wisely.

'Oh, yeah?' Peter answered with a crooked smile. 'And what makes you so smart, missy?'

Hope smiled a big old Caffrey smile. 'Hanging around you!' she said as she gave his shoulder a hug.

The little bell chimed announcing another visitor and both of them looked up to see the owner entering the gallery, looking sprightly in a finely tailored suit and wearing his signature fedora. He walked up to where his best friend and daughter stood, looking suspiciously guilty and he took off his hat, gesturing between the two of them as he spoke.

'Why do I have a feeling this is about me?' he said, in his own vain way.

'Oh, Daddy!' Hope answered dismissively as she walked up to give him a playful tap on the arm. 'Not _everything's_ about you!'

WCWCWC

'That's a really big decision Neal' Peter said, between bites.

'Tell me about it!' Neal responded, cocking his eyebrow in response. 'But it seems like the right thing to do; Peter, I can't leave her to her own devices, she'll never get out of this mess by herself. And I've got Sara on board...'

Peter thought back to that night, so many years ago, when he'd debated whether or not to give in to Neal's scheme for early release so he could come work for the FBI. He remembered wavering and having that late night chat with El, as she pointed out that Neal had acted impulsively out of love and desperation for the woman he loved. Despite the years of push and pull and all those ups and downs in their relationship, he had no regrets; he was happy he'd let his heart guide him that night. Now, Neal was paying it forward, wanting to give this young girl every chance possible to make good; he hoped Neal wouldn't have as hard a time as _he'd_ had with his CI.

'You know, you're facing years of heartache and disappointment, don't you?' Peter said, looking into his partner's eyes.

'Sounds like you're speaking from experience, Agent Burke' Neal answered, knowing full well that he was singlehandedly responsible for half of those grey hairs on Peter's head.

'No regrets, though... so I'd be hard pressed to advise you _not_ to do it' Peter admitted wistfully.

Neal let out a gentle laugh, it was payback time. The months and years ahead would likely test his patience yet, he was sitting across from the man who'd never given up on him despite Neal's multiple efforts at driving him around the bend over the years.

'Thanks, Peter. I guess I needed to hear that from _you_ ' Neal said softly.

'Hope tells me you're going to St. Louis tomorrow' Peter said as he changed the subject.

'Yeah... I hope I don't live to regret it...' Neal said musingly.

'I think your only regret will be if you _don't_ go' Peter answered wisely.

'Well, I'm going in without any expectations. I'm not anticipating some emotional scene where we throw ourselves into each others' arms. And Sara will be with me so...'

'You're giving yourself a chance to heal Neal; _that's_ what's important' Peter said.

The two men exchanged looks, thankful to be in each other's lives and Peter realized that as much as Neal counted on him, he felt exactly the same way.

WCWCWC

On Wednesday evening, the extended Caffrey family, including Caitlin Somersby, headed out to White Plains District High School for the big basketball final. The school had taken advantage of the high profile event to host a carnival of sorts, complete with a hot dog stand, a Ferris wheel, a bake sale, a raffle table and some music and entertainment. Peppered amongst the many booths were kiosks from the various student clubs at the school including the Gay Straight Alliance which figured prominently with its brightly colored booth and friendly students.

That's exactly where Neal, Sara, Hope, Cameron, Caitlin and Mozzie found Liam alongside Cody and the rest of the students from the club, hanging out and obviously having a great time.

'Hey squirt!' Hope called out as she spotted her brother, decked out in a rainbow t-shirt and a big, broad smile.

'Hey!' he responded as he took in the sight of his sister holding a giant wad of cotton candy. 'Where did you get that?' he asked as he grabbed a fistful right out of her hand, Hope balking all the way.

'Get your own!' she responded with a laugh as she shoved him playfully.

Sara and Neal looked on, smiling, as they checked out the various items on the club's table.

'Can I go over there and get a hot dog?' Caitlin asked, pointing to the hot dog stand across the football field.

'Sure' answered Neal as he pulled out a five dollar bill. 'And get yourself a drink too.'

Caitlin looked unsure about taking the money from his hand. She wasn't used to being treated like part of a family. Usually, she was given a small allowance by her foster family for the month and told to 'deal with it'.

'Here, take it' Neal insisted. 'Hope and Liam do... without hesitation, I might add.'

Caitlin smiled in appreciation and took off running to the hot dog stand with a spring in her step.

'Honey, do you have adult sizes for these?' Sara asked Liam as she pointed to the colorful t-shirts with the slogan _I'm Proud of my Gay Son._ I want to get a couple for me and Daddy.'

'Me too' echoed Mozzie as he perused the stack of rainbow colored shirts.

'I would go with the extra large for Neal' they heard from behind them where Cody's parents had suddenly appeared.

'Here for the big game?' Neal asked as he shook Mike Miller's hand.

'You know it!' the man responded.

Liam seemed to realize the time and his eyes lit up as he turned to say goodbye to Cody. 'I've got to go and get ready for the big game' he said, butterflies in his stomach – although lately it was unclear whether those butterflies came about from gazing into Cody's big brown eyes or if he was nervous at the thought of staring down the court at the opposing team's basket.

Cody pulled him in for a quick hug. 'Good luck Liam! I'll be in the stands cheering you on' he said as Liam waved to his parents and disappeared into the nearby school.

'Where did Caitlin go?' Sara asked as she suddenly noticed the young girl wasn't standing nearby. Having to keep track of a third kid was going to take some getting used to – especially one as 'adventurous' as Caitlin Somersby.

They glanced across the field and noticed the young girl chatting up some cute guy. Her body language was all coyness and cuteness and Sara exchanged knowing glances with her husband.

'Oh, this is going to be fun!' she said in her usual acerbic way.

WCWCWC

It was almost midnight by the time the Caffreys made it home. After White Plains' decisive victory against the East Irvington Bears, they'd decided to all go out for burgers and shakes – 'all' being the Caffrey clan and the Miller family. Liam had won the league trophy for MVP and Cody reveled in his boyfriend's achievement by showing the award to the waiter who took their order – and anyone else who wandered past their table.

'My boyfriend just won MVP!' he said brightly to a woman nearby as everyone laughed.

The atmosphere had been carefree and everyone had been in a celebratory mood. It was interesting to watch Caitlin as she worked hard to blend in with the rest of the family; Neal and Sara had been pleasantly surprised to see that she was behaving in a very appropriate manner, not too bold and not too shy. They dropped her off at the group home, watching her crestfallen face and realizing that, if all went well, in a couple of weeks, they wouldn't have to leave her on her own any more.

Neal and Sara had a 7:15 flight to St. Louis the next day and Sara was pleased to see that despite their planned foray, Neal seemed relaxed – as a matter of fact, after their usual bedtime cuddle, he'd been the first to drift off, leaving her alone to ruminate about the big changes coming up in their lives.

Having a baby was unsettling for any couple, challenging everything you'd come to know but at least, with a newborn, you had a blank slate to work with, a little person to mold over time. Caitlin was almost an adult and yet Sara could see that she would require an awful lot of support and guidance; it was overwhelming to think that she and Neal were the ones who would be called upon to provide the tough love that would prepare her for success in the adult world.

She'd noticed how the teen had sought attention all throughout the evening, from boys and from her and Neal – they would have to work at finding ways to give her the validation she needed without giving in to her attempts at getting attention for inappropriate behavior. Neal was incredible with her – as he'd been with both their kids – playing to her strengths and giving her the confidence she needed in order not to act out. They were still at the starting line and Sara Ellis knew they were in for a bumpy ride raising this wild child and yet, she had confidence they would find a way to get through the next few years with a little luck and a lot of patience.

Sara turned in bed, watching as Neal slept peacefully. She hoped the next day would live up to his expectations and that he wouldn't come away feeling worse than before. She thought of Linda Bennett, at the other end of their journey, undoubtedly anxious about seeing her son after such a long time.

Not for the first time, Sara hoped she hadn't made a mistake masterminding their reunion. She curled up against Neal's back and waited for sleep to claim her.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Although he'd fallen asleep the moment his head had hit the pillow, Neal woke in the early hours of Thursday morning, unable to get back to sleep and mulling over what would transpire when they finally set foot in St. Louis. Visiting with his mom after all this time was stressful enough but seeing the city where he'd spent fifteen years of his youth would likely bring back a ton of memories, some good, some _not_ so good. He wondered what JFK High looked like, forty years after his passage there and if Ernie's Pool Hall was still on Hudson Road near the airport. He'd spent countless hours in that pool hall, hanging out with older kids, skipping school and trying to make a few bucks on the side.

He remembered the little coffee shop where he and his friends used to hang out after school – the place where they'd spend their meagre allowances on fries and a coke after classes. Not that _he_ ever got an allowance; but even back then, Neal had been a resourceful guy and he'd found ways to circumvent the situation. He recalled how he used to flirt with that waitress – what was her name? – and how she'd usually let him off the hook in exchange for his undivided attention for a few minutes in the alley behind the restaurant.

Even at Liam's age, Neal's mind was constantly in overdrive, looking for ways to cut corners and get what he wanted without having to pay the price. He'd be hard-pressed to say that _all_ his memories of St. Louis were bad but the bad memories far outweighed the good and he'd been thrilled to finally leave St. Louis behind, never to return.

Gina! That was her name; he let out a small chortle and glanced over to make sure he hadn't woken Sara in the process.

Sara... thank God she was there with him through all this. He couldn't imagine having to face _anything_ in his life without her – sure, he was thankful she was there to help him through the rough times but those wonderful, special times... he wouldn't want to share _those_ with anyone else. He felt her stir next to him and she flipped over, throwing her arm across his chest in her sleep and muttering something that sounded like 'mop the floor' as he giggled, feeling her warm, comforting body against his.

Sara...

WCWCWC

'You okay?' Sara asked for the umpteenth time as she and Neal held hands, the plane preparing its descent into Missouri.

'I will be, don't worry' he repeated with his best Neal Caffrey grin.

'She's frail, Neal...' she began.

'So you've said, Sara...' he answered with a twinge of impatience to his voice '...twice.'

'Sorry, I just want so much for this to go well...' she apologized, realizing she had way too much invested in this reunion – more than she should have. This wasn't about her and yet, as the instigator, she felt responsible for what would transpire.

'Well, that's not up to you, unfortunately' he said. 'Or me... not entirely anyway' Neal commented.

'Are you sure you don't want to spend the night? The kids would be fine; once Caitlin moves in, we might not be able to take off like this quite so easily' Sara said.

Neal had categorically slammed Sara's suggestion to stay the night in St. Louis but now, he wondered if that really nice Italian place on Bathurst was still open – the place where he'd worked for a couple of months before getting fired for stealing another waitress' tips. 'Rudy's' – that was it! They made a mean manicotti...

'I guess we _could_ go out for a nice dinner and stay overnight. You sure the kids would be okay?' he asked, worry lines forming on his forehead.

Sara rolled her eyes; he doted on the kids much too much.

'Neal, Hope lives alone in another city. I'm sure she can keep an eye on her brother for one night' she declared.

He hesitated for a brief moment. 'Okay, why not. I know this great Italian place where I used to work' he said, his mood brightening at the thought of an evening out with his wife.

'I didn't know you had a _real_ job back when you were a kid' Sara said, curious for more details.

'Well, it didn't last. I kind of... well, I got fired. Don't ask' he said as he rolled his eyes.

After almost twenty years of marriage, there were still things Sara Ellis didn't know about her gorgeous husband. Like Russia, he was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma and she was still working at peeling back the layers, always surprised by what she found there.

'Italian would be nice' she said. 'And when we land, I'll see about getting us a room somewhere.'

Despite the unusual circumstances, this was a rare and welcome opportunity to be away from their everyday lives... just the two of them in a different city. Maybe something good could come from this little trip, Neal thought, although he wasn't at all sure it would be the outcome of his visit with his mom.

Try as he might to imagine the scene, he still hadn't decided what his first words to her would be. He oscillated between a friendly 'Hi Mom' or an icy cold stare – or yet again, he feared that when he finally laid eyes on her, he'd automatically launch into an uncensored and severe rebuke for her past misdeeds. He had no idea how he'd feel when he finally looked into those blue eyes; one thing was for certain, he hadn't come to this decision lightly and he had no intention of paying her lip service. If he was going to heal from this, he needed to be brutally honest and that meant not holding back when he shared how her shortcomings had affected him growing up.

It was the last few days of May and the weather was glorious, just as it had been the week before when Sara had visited. The taxi ride from the airport to the retirement home seemed to take forever and Sara was trying hard to keep the mood light; the closer they got, the quieter Neal became and she bit her tongue, trying to give him the space he seemed to be craving. Despite her curious nature, she managed to refrain from asking too many questions about how he planned to approach things.

Hopefully, it hadn't been a mistake for her to come along. She and Neal had decided that they would all have lunch together and that Sara would then make herself scarce and give Neal and his mom some time to themselves.

By the time they'd arrived at their destination, Neal wasn't even up to giving her his usual reassuring Caffrey smile and Sara realized he was deep in thought, no doubt imagining all sorts of scenarios.

'You're sure you want me there with you?' she asked as they stepped out onto the curb.

'Let's just stick to the plan' Neal said, nervously tugging at his clothes. 'Stay for lunch and we'll see how things go from there.'

Sara grabbed his shirt sleeve, forcing him to turn and face her.

'Neal...' she said, her voice shaking. 'Just remember, that you're doing this for _you_ and nobody else. Not for her and _certainly_ not for me.'

He nodded and let out a long slow breath.

'And don't forget that I'm here for you and I love you... no matter what' she added as she tried to connect with his unfocussed gaze.

He turned and grabbed her hand as they walked resolutely towards the building and the long awaited mother and son reunion.

WCWCWC

'So, what are the plans for Saturday?' Cody asked as he and Liam shared lunch on the lawn outside White Plains High.

'My parents usually leave it up to me but I'm... kind of over the 'party' thing. I was thinking you and I could just hang out in the afternoon, maybe go to a movie or something... and then, we could all go out for dinner. My uncle Mozzie will be there – you've met him, and usually my uncle Peter and aunt Elizabeth come along.'

'Is he your dad's brother?' Cody asked, trying to gain a better understanding of the Caffrey family tree.

Liam smiled as he answered. 'No, he's just my dad's best friend – they've known each other for years and he and my aunt Elizabeth are Hope's godparents' he explained as Cody nodded.

'And what's the deal with your uncle Mozzie?' he asked '...and what kind of name is that?'

Liam laughed. 'My family is complicated' he admitted. 'Let's just say, Uncle Mozzie is a... well, he's one of a kind but he's always been there for me.'

'So, if he's your godfather, who's your godmother?' Cody asked between bites.

'My grandma June. She passed away about a year ago' Liam said wistfully.

'Was she your mom's mom or your dad's mom?' Cody asked.

Liam let out another small laugh. 'Well, technically, neither but she was sort of my dad's surrogate mom. As a matter of fact, he's going out to meet his biological mom in St. Louis today. He hasn't seen her in forty years.'

Cody shook his head. 'Your family is awfully complicated, Liam' he blurted out.

'Tell me about it' Liam said as he leaned over to kiss Cody.

Being in close proximity to his cute boyfriend did weird thing to his insides and those butterflies he felt whenever he was in his presence never seemed to go away.

'Is that your way of telling me the subject is closed?' Cody asked, letting his lips linger on Liam's for a moment.

'Let's just say I'd rather kiss you that talk about my family right now' he responded with a smile.

WCWCWC

The lobby of the Amica Retirement Home was modest but tastefully decorated with a couple of leather wing chairs and a reception desk which was manned by the same woman Sara had met the week before. The woman glanced up when Neal and Sara strolled in, recognizing Sara from her previous visit.

'Wow! Twice in one week! Mrs. Bennett will be thrilled to see you' she said as she pointed to the sign-in book on the counter in front of her.

Neal seemed to be in some kind of trance so Sara stepped up and signed both their names as she smiled at the young woman.

'We're meeting her in the dining room' Sara said. 'Can you point us in the right direction?'

'Right down this hallway, you'll see. You'll come to it at the very end' the woman explained.

Neal reached out for Sara's hand once again as they took the first tentative steps down what appeared to be a long narrow hallway. Halfway down, Neal stopped dead in his tracks, his breathing shallow but loud and he turned to his wife, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her in to him as he squeezed her tight. The unexpected clinch lasted but a few seconds and he stepped back, looking through her.

'Okay?' Sara asked.

Neal nodded and without a word, he took her hand again and continued until they arrived to an open space at the end of the hallway, a large dining room where a few residents had taken place for lunch which was scheduled to be served within the next little while. Sara spotted Linda Bennett immediately, sitting at a table by the window, her back to them, her trusty walker tucked in beside her chair at the ready.

She guided Neal in that direction, feeling his clammy hand clasped in hers. She couldn't remember any other time in their married life when she'd seen Neal this tense and she squeezed his hand to reassure him as they took the last few steps towards the table where Linda Bennett sat, patiently waiting. As they got nearer, the woman looked up, her face suddenly illuminated at the sight of her son whom she'd only seen in photographs since his departure 37 years before.

Neal stood, frozen, watching as she struggled to stand, holding on to the edge of the table to manage the feat.

'Danny!' she said, breathlessly as mother and son finally came face to face.

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

'I'm sorry… Neal' she corrected herself, realizing she'd lapsed into another time and place.

Seeing his face again after all this time had somehow brought her back to their years in the Witness Protection Program when they'd been forced to assume new identities. She hadn't referred to him as 'Neal' since he was three years old and his childhood alias had just slipped out, unintentionally.

Neal stared back, unable to speak. She looked so different from the woman he'd known all those years ago and yet, all his memories of her came flooding back in that instant, the good ones and the much more abundant painful ones - and he thought for a moment that he might have forgotten how to breathe. He could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest and he was suddenly overcome with rage and hurt, realizing he couldn't bear to be in her presence for one moment longer.

'Excuse me' he mumbled as he turned away and stumbled out of the room, overcome by emotion and the flood of memories.

Sara and Linda watched as Neal practically ran out of the dining room, obviously unable to deal with the intensity of the moment. Sara hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should take off after him but realizing it would do no good. There was no point in trying to reach out to him in his present state; he needed a few minutes to get himself under control and chasing after him would only make things worse.

Sara turned her attention back to Linda Bennett and watched as the realization of what had just taken place registered on her mother-in-law's horrified face.

'Please, sit down' Sara said as she took Linda's arm, noticing her legs were going to give out any second.

'What have I done?' said the elderly woman, her eyes filling with tears.

'It's alright' Sara said, trying to comfort the woman '... just give him a minute.'

Tears began to roll down Linda's face as she realized the effect her presence had just had on her son; the last thing she'd wanted to do was upset him.

'I think Neal might have underestimated what it would be like to see you again... after all this time. Are _you_ alright?' Sara asked, noticing the woman was trembling.

'He looked so... angry and so hurt' she managed to say through the tears. 'I did this to him. This is all my fault.'

WCWCWC

Neal stumbled out of the dining room in search of somewhere private where he could collect himself before he totally fell apart. His eyes filled with tears causing his vision to go blurry and he felt himself go weak as he walked briskly, trying in vain to distance himself from the intense feeling of anger and vulnerability that had just invaded every pore of his body.

The first room he came across was a private washroom which he entered, locking the door behind him as he stood shaking, his back up against the door, trying to get his breathing under control. He turned to face himself in the mirror, seeing the look of pure devastation on his face, all color drained from the shock of locking eyes with the woman who had given birth to him and had left him to face life all alone. He hung on to the edge of the sink, fearful his legs might give out; he could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his breathing faltering, small little breaths making his vision fade in and out as he let himself fall on the toilet seat nearby, his hands still clasped to the edge of the sink for support.

Of all the images Neal had conjured up over the past few days, this one had never even crossed his mind. When he thought of the eventual meeting with his mom, he imagined himself having to keep his anger in check or having to fight his feelings of contempt for the woman but never, in his wildest dreams, had he imagined the intense feeling of vulnerability he'd just experienced. Try as he might to put things into perspective, the mere sight of her had reminded him of the rejection he'd suffered all those years ago and how that rejection had damn near succeeded in destroying his life.

And at the moment, he hated his mother for that.

He stood to look at himself in the mirror, seeing those blue eyes staring back, the same blue eyes he'd just looked into – the ones that had set off this devastating feeling of helplessness and rage. He turned on the tap, throwing some cool water on his face as he came back to himself, feeling his breathing return to normal and he watched as the color gradually returned to his face. He closed his eyes in an effort to collect his thoughts; he'd just stormed out of the long awaited meeting with his mom, leaving his wife at the table with her – his behavior totally unexpected and some might say excessive, considering the circumstances.

He took a few, slow, cleansing breaths as he felt calmness return to his muddled mind. He wasn't a sad and angry little boy anymore and he needed to face this situation with calm and composure. Giving himself one last glance in the mirror, he washed his face, swallowed hard and turned to leave the room.

WCWCWC

Linda Bennett was still in shock, trying to regain her composure when Neal re-entered the dining room and took the seat next to his wife, facing his mother.

'Sorry about that' he said with a small, controlled smile.

Her eyes came up to look into his, this time seeing a cool, calm and collected man sitting across from her.

'No. I'm the one who's sorry Dan... Neal' she said.

Neal could feel Sara's hand on his knee, a small reassuring gesture that almost made him lose it but he swallowed before he spoke, keeping his emotions in check.

'You look... well' he said to his mom, his voice neutral, not quite sure what else one was meant to say after so much time apart.

She smiled back warmly at him and Sara noticed how her eyes crinkled just like Neal's did when he smiled.

'You look... amazing' she answered, wiping her eyes with the napkin that lay on the table. 'And you have such a lovely wife... very kind' she added.

Neal glanced over at Sara, noticing the worry in her eyes due to his precipitous exit and he smiled at her, hoping to reassure her that he had things under control. Or did he? Every word that came out of his mother's mouth felt like a violation of their privacy, of their life, the life she had no business knowing anything about. With every word, he felt the knife turning in his chest and his anger growing.

'She is... incredible' he finally said.

'Why don't you tell me what's been going on in your life this past year. Since June passed away, I'm afraid I've been out of the loop' Linda Bennett said, leaning in towards her son.

 _ **THAT'S NONE OF YOUR GODDAM BUSINESS**_

Neal felt anger rise in him but he decided to let her comment slide, for now. He was still annoyed that his mom had managed to finagle regular updates out of June – he'd chosen not to be angry with June, that just wouldn't be right.

Seeing the volatile look in her husband's eyes, Sara spoke up, hoping to break the ice and get some semblance of conversation going.

'Well, Hope started university in January' she began 'and Liam is in high school now.'

'What university did Hope decide to attend?' asked the old woman who was trying hard to keep the dialogue on an even keel. She knew that the discussion would eventually venture into more touchy subjects but for now, she was trying to stick to neutral topics.

Neal looked at her, his face impassive.

 _ **LIKE YOU CARE ABOUT OUR KIDS, ALL OF A SUDDEN**_

'She's at Carnegie Mellon, in Pittsburgh' Sara responded, pride apparent in her voice despite the tension she could feel radiating off of her husband.

'She's an artist... like you' Linda said to Neal with a warm smile. She turned to face Sara as she continued to speak.

'When Neal was little, he'd draw on anything he could find... the newspaper, the grocery list...'

 _ **I HAD TO; YOU NEVER GAVE ME ANYTHING TO WORK WITH**_

Neal smiled politely in response.

'And he would doodle constantly...' she continued.

 _ **AS IF YOU WERE PAYING ANY ATTENTION**_

Neal strained to retain his composure.

'Liam is a star basketball player' he said, swallowing hard. 'He just won the most valuable player award for his league last night.'

Linda smiled like any proud grandmother would.

 _ **NOT THAT ANY OF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU**_

The awkward conversation was interrupted by one of the staff, bringing over some soup for the trio.

'Mrs. Bennett, it's nice to see you have company today' said the young man.

'This is my son!' she said with pride. 'And his wife.'

 _ **DON'T YOU EVEN GO THERE!**_

'They came from New York City to visit me' she stated, matter of factly as if this was just some regular old visit.

 _ **YOU DO NOT GET TO RE-WRITE HISTORY, MOTHER!**_

Lunch was eaten in relative silence with Linda Bennett enquiring about the children, how things were going at the gallery and what else was new in their lives.

As they finished up dessert, Sara shared the fact that they had recently opened the June Ellington School of Art as a tribute to June, following her passing. Neal had been quiet throughout the meal and she could feel him growing more irate as lunch wore on.

'I'm so proud of you, Neal' Linda said, as she saw Neal's face harden.

'I think we can safely say that ship has sailed, Mom' he answered dismissively, anger seeping through his voice.

Sara looked up at him, realizing this might be her cue to leave the two of them alone. It was time for mother and son to get to the crux of the matter and that discussion had nothing to do with her.

'Why don't I got for a little stroll and let you two talk' she said as she stood to leave. 'Linda, it was... nice to see you again.'

'Honey, text me when you're ready' she added as she gave Neal a peck on the cheek. Within seconds, she'd gone, leaving Neal and his mom to face each other.

WCWCWC

The rage that had been slowly building inside Neal was ready to explode and he looked around the quiet dining room, realizing it wasn't the most appropriate setting to have a direct, honest conversation. Linda suggested they go out and sit in the garden where they could speak more freely. Neal watched as she struggled to stand and he flashed back to all those times he'd watched her teeter because of the copious amounts of booze and drugs in her system. He shook off the memory and reached out to give her a steadying hand as she reached out for the safety of her walker.

He felt some repulsion at the touch but he'd always been a gentleman and he wasn't about to stop being who he was just because he was consumed with anger. His mom seemed to misinterpret his gesture as a caring one and he pulled away not wanting her to read more into his touch than what it was: detached courtesy. He followed her out, noting how frail she looked and he had a momentary pang of guilt for all the resentment boiling inside him. They slowly made their way out to the grounds, finding a quiet bench and they took a seat, side by side, away from prying eyes in order to have a private conversation.

'You're angry Neal, I get it' Linda said softly.

'Oh, do you?' Neal said, sarcastically. 'I'm not sure you do, Mom.'

'I'm surprised you can even call me that' she said with humility. 'I wasn't much of a mother to you.'

Neal raised his eyebrows and looked away, trying to stay in control.

'No, you weren't' he said, his voice impassive.

'Look, Neal, I knew this wasn't going to be a lovefest but I'd hoped we could be honest with each other and try to see each other's point of view.'

'You realize if it wasn't for Sara, I wouldn't be here at all' Neal said, his voice cold.

She nodded.

'She loves me and she worries about me. She's seen how bitter I am about... about those years and what they did to my life... and she seems to think if we talk it out, I can let go of some of that anger but...'

Linda looked into his eyes, daggers staring back. 'But you don't think you can?'

Neal scoffed. 'I don't know Mom. Do you have any idea how damaged I was when Peter found me – how messed up I was?'

She watched in silence as he spoke.

'I was a _criminal_ , Mom' Neal spoke, his voice growing louder. 'A goddam criminal. I paid for it with almost ten years of my life – first in prison, then on a goddam leash...'

He was on a roll and he wasn't holding anything back. Despite the frailty of the woman facing him, he knew that he had to let it out. The resentment had been percolating for years and years; she needed to know the damage she'd caused with her neglect and disregard for his needs.

'That little boy... he deserved somebody to look out for him, to care about him... to love him, to speak up for him' he said, his voice becoming emotional. 'And now that I'm an adult, I'm going to do just that.'

To her credit, Linda Bennett sat there and took it all, every sling and every arrow. She was ready to listen and she hoped that, once he'd unburdened himself, her son would find it in his heart to listen to what _she_ had to say.

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

'Hope, your phone's ringing!' Peter called out from the first floor of the gallery.

She'd been busy hanging a couple of her new pieces on the second floor - which was reserved for 'Caffrey' art, including the odd piece from her aunt Emily, whenever she was inclined to contribute.

'Can you see who it is? I'll be right down' she called back as Peter reached out on the counter to pick up the ringing phone.

'Hope Ellis-Caffrey's phone' he answered in jest, figuring the odds were it was Cameron calling.

'Peter?' came Sara's voice on the other end.

'Sara? Hi, is anything wrong?' he asked; she and Neal were in St. Louis and he hoped they hadn't run into any problems.

'No. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to let Hope know that we're going to spend the night and come home tomorrow' she responded.

'Is that a... a good thing?' Peter asked, wondering if he should be reading anything into the change of plans.

'I just managed to talk Neal into staying for dinner before we head back. Once Caitlin's living with us, it'll be harder to be spontaneous' she said.

Peter spied Hope coming around the corner, listening to his end of the conversation.

'Tell you what, why don't we have the kids over for dinner at our place tonight. El's been wanting to do that for a while anyway' he said as Hope frowned.

'Look, here's Hope. I'll let you talk to her. See you tomorrow' Peter said before handing the phone to his goddaughter.

'Mom?'

'Hey honey! I see you're at the gallery' came Sara's response.

'Yeah, I'm heading over to teach my class at the school in a little while' said Hope. 'Oh, by the way, Caitlin left two messages for you and Dad at home, asking if it was still okay for her to come to class' she added with a small smile.

'Well, at least she's taking things seriously. Honey, can you call her back and tell her it's fine' Sara responded. 'I'm sure your dad will want a full report on how everything goes so don't forget to take notes' she added with a laugh.

'So, I take it from Uncle Peter's offer that you guys are spending the night' Hope asked.

'Is that okay with you?' came her mom's answer.

Hope laughed. 'I think we'll be okay, Mom. And we have Uncle Peter here - who seems to think I'm still eight years old so...' she said, watching as Peter shook his head.

'How's Dad?' asked Hope.

'Jury's still out... He's with his mom right now; I thought I'd give them some time alone to talk things out' Sara responded, a tinge of worry in her voice.

'He'll be fine, Mom... as long as you're there to pick up the pieces' Hope said, noticing Peter cringing as she spoke.

'Oh, and Hope, don't forget Liam has a club meeting after school today' Sara reminded her.

'Got it' Hope answered as she rolled her eyes at her mom's attempts at micro managing their lives from a distance.

'Oh, and one last thing, don't forget to get him to –' Sara began before Hope interrupted, flustered.

'...check his sugar levels. I know, Mom; this isn't my first rodeo!' she exclaimed with a head shake.

'Alright sweetie. We'll be home in the early afternoon tomorrow. Love you!' Sara said before hanging up.

Hope looked over at her uncle Peter as she put down her phone.

'It'll be a miracle if the four of you ever let us figure things out for ourselves' she said before traipsing back up the stairs.

WCWCWC

Neal was on a roll and the more he talked, the more relieved he felt. He was trying hard to ignore the look of hurt on his mom's face; this showdown had been a long time coming and now that he was in the throes of it, he didn't want to stop until he got everything off his chest.

'I was six years old, Mom... _six years old_ and I was having to figure out meals and laundry and stuff that any normal kid should _never_ have to think about' he continued, his voice shrill.

He'd noticed that his resentment towards his mom had grown even more since he'd become a parent himself; when he'd first held Hope in his arms, he'd realized that he would move heaven and earth for her and he just couldn't fathom why his mom hadn't felt the same way about him.

'Do you know how many school outings I missed because my mom hadn't signed the permission slip or given me money to pay... how many days I spent in the principal's office while the rest of my class went to a museum or to some play?' he continued, stopping to catch his breath.

'That's when I started to get creative and to find ways to bend the rules... the first time I stole something, I was seven years old and I stole from the school janitor. I noticed he always left his coat in the supply room and I snuck in at lunchtime and lifted twenty bucks from his wallet' Neal said, the bad memories flooding back.

'Signing your name on _anything_ became easy... hell, I became an expert at _that_...' he said, looking away and thinking about how that particular skill set had led him down the garden path to a life of crime.

Linda Bennett watched and listened, swallowing hard and willing herself not to cry. She'd promised herself she wouldn't play the pity card with Neal; this could only work if he felt free to tell her everything that had been weighing on his mind since he was a kid – holding nothing back. Her sincere wish for her son was that he might finally heal by letting go of all that anger. The last thing she wanted to do was to hold him back from speaking his mind and getting all that rage out; she owed him that and _so_ much more.

Neal stood for a moment and took a few tentative steps, almost as if talking wasn't enough; the nervous energy that was percolating inside him needed another outlet and he suddenly began to pace furiously. He stopped, right in front of his mom, staring down at her.

'Mom, you _broke_ that little boy and it took me years to put him back together' he said, summing things up as the ugly truth about what she'd done hit her right in the face.

He stopped pacing, taking a seat next to her.

'By the time I left, I was a mess and I couldn't wait to get away from here... away from _you_ ' he said, without restraint, fully aware of the wounds he was inflicting on this frail elderly woman and yet, in that moment, not caring.

If he'd stopped to listen to his words, Neal would undoubtedly have been horrified. He was a kind and gentle man and he strived to be positive and to bring out the best in people. He would never dream of talking to anyone the way he was railing at the woman who gave birth to him.

He let out a long slow breath and began to calm down. She needed to know these horrible things... these things she'd been oblivious to because she couldn't keep from getting high every day of her wretched life.

'Did you know that boyfriend of yours – George...whatever – he used to kick me around' Neal said, staring into her eyes, watching as repulsion set in.

'That jerk who kept you strung out had a really mean streak. He used to throw me up against the wall and give me a few good slaps before kicking me in the stomach... Mom, I was just a kid... where were _you_?' he said, looking away, trying to keep his voice from faltering.

Linda's eyes filled with tears at the horror of what Neal was telling her; she'd had no idea back then that her little boy was being manhandled by a two hundred pound thug. But she _should_ have known, it was her job to know and yet, in that way and so many other ways, she'd failed her son miserably.

Neal seemed to be losing steam, as if sharing all those painful emotions had wrung out every bit of energy he had. After a moment of silence, during which Linda fought hard not to just put her arm around her son, he finally spoke up again.

'All I wanted... was to be like everybody else. To have a home where I felt safe...' he said, sadness replacing the anger he'd been feeling a moment before.

'And you _deserved_ to have that, Neal. I _should_ have been there to make sure you were safe and had everything you needed and... I wasn't' she said, her voice quiet.

Neal half expected her to make excuses for her behavior, to try to explain away her lack of concern for his wellbeing but she stopped short of that. She knew that, in order for Neal to let go of his hurt and anger, he needed to know his feelings of outrage were justified, that he had every right to feel that way.

'When you were born, your dad and I were so excited. He'd wanted a bunch of kids and it took a while for me to finally get pregnant but when it happened, we were overjoyed. Your dad worked hard to keep a roof over our heads – although we were never rich, we were happy...' she said as Neal sat quietly, entranced by the story.

'But your dad worried that we wouldn't have enough to give you a good life and he made some bad choices... for the right reasons. He got himself in way too deep and I didn't see it. I didn't ask where the extra cash was coming from. I was happy when we finally got a nicer place and you were... well, you and your dad, you were so close. He loved you... and I was just _so_ glad to see the two men in my life happy. When it all fell apart, I did too. You didn't understand why your dad had suddenly disappeared from your life and the next thing I knew, we were being shipped here to St. Louis where we didn't know a single soul.'

Linda spoke quietly, deliberately and Neal listened without emotion; he was feeling calm and centered and he hung on to each and every word she spoke.

'Ellen lived nearby and... well, she was wonderful with you. But I had my insecurities and I often pushed her away... you were _my_ little boy, not hers and I didn't like her hanging around very much. You loved her though... she was good to you... but she had her demons too. Because of what James had done, she'd had to leave the life and the job she loved and she knew she would never be able to truly share who she really was with anyone. For someone like Ellen, that was really hard.'

Neal flashed back to those early years when Ellen was around, remembering the laughter and the warmth.

'I was ill-equipped to deal with the wonderful, creative little boy you were' she continued with a wistful smile. 'You were so full of energy, so full of wonderful mischief and instead of celebrating that, I closed down. I couldn't find the energy to deal with you and I became depressed at the thought that our dreams of a happy family life had disappeared' she said.

'I was angry and resentful towards your father and I blamed him for what had happened to us. I couldn't see that I had this beautiful, wonderful little boy in my life... all I could see was your father's eyes, staring back at me...taunting me' she admitted as her eyes looked down.

This was obviously _not_ her finest moment and Neal could see the guilt and the shame in her eyes as she continued, undaunted by the pain she was obviously inflicting on herself.

'I was weak...' she said, stopping suddenly and Neal realized she was fighting to retain her composure.

'I was weak, Neal' she continued 'None of this was _your_ fault... you were an _amazing_ kid, curious, happy go lucky, creative... and my actions back then... well they just destroyed all that beauty in you. I take full responsibility for what happened and I will never, ever, be able to make that up to you... and believe me, I know that' she said, contrite.

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

'What?' Liam asked as he leaned in to give Cody a kiss; they were heading out to their respective afternoon classes and Liam was clearly enjoying the novelty of the quick peck on the cheek or small hug whenever they parted ways.

'Nothing...' Cody said, pulling away. 'We've just got to be a little more careful, Liam.'

'What are you talking about? We're out and we're proud...' Liam began, spouting the doctrine he was beginning to feel more and more comfortable with.

'Well, not everybody is open to... us' Cody answered, his eyes darting up and down the hallway.

Liam couldn't understand his boyfriend's sudden reluctance at the occasional public display of affection. Cody had been instrumental in bringing him to this point; Liam was finally comfortable in his skin and as a newly minted member of the GSA, he was feeling a surge of confidence after all the ambivalence he'd felt before coming out. Liam didn't want to go back to feeling unsure of himself and he was enjoying the newfound freedom he had to express himself in ways that mirrored his true feelings.

'I'll see you after class' Cody said as he pulled away, leaving Liam feeling perplexed.

'Mr. Caffrey, will you be joining us in class today?' asked his math teacher as he stood in the doorway to the classroom.

WCWCWC

Sara sat in the lobby of the Amica Retirement Home, wringing her hands as she continued to wait for Neal to return. She'd seen her husband's anger bubbling right under the surface all through lunch, his answers curt and just on this side of polite as his mom had enquired about how things were going for them. Sara had stepped in on a couple of occasions as Neal had glared at his mom, unable or unwilling to tell her what he really wanted to say.

'Excuse me' a woman said as Sara looked up to check out the newcomer who hovered beside her, clad in a lab coat.

'We'd like to update Mrs. Bennett's file. I understand you're her daughter-in-law' said the woman.

Sara nodded in response; she'd been married to Neal Caffrey for nearly twenty years but in all that time, she'd never before had a mother-in-law – it was still strange to hear Linda Bennett referred to as such.

The woman guided Sara over to a small office nearby; the nursing office according to the sign on the door.

'I'm Doris Frazier and I'm head of nursing here. I just wanted to update you on Mrs. Bennett's condition and maybe get some contact information from you, in case of an emergency' said the woman, pulling out a file from a nearby cabinet.

'Her condition?' Sara repeated, intrigued. She knew Linda Bennett had some health issues; the woman had hinted at them in her letter but she didn't have a clue as to what those issues were or how serious they might be.

'Mrs. Bennett's health is deteriorating quite rapidly' the nurse said, her voice kind. 'She suffers from cardiac insufficiency and she's refused any further treatment for her stomach cancer.'

Sara listened intently. Linda was masking her health problems well; from her interactions with her, Sara had never surmised that the woman was that sick.

'How... serious is it?' Sara asked.

'Well, Mrs. Bennett is a trooper and she doesn't like us to fuss' explained the woman 'but the latest tests indicate that her cancer is spreading at an alarming rate.'

Sara listened, her eyes growing in response to this new information. As it turned out, this was another characteristic Linda Bennett shared with her son – who was chronically averse to being fussed over whenever he was feeling under the weather.

'Can I get you to fill out the next of kin information? Right here' the nurse said, pointing to the appropriate section on the form.

'Sure' said Sara, her voice quiet.

WCWCWC

Neal felt an unexpected wave of weariness wash over him as he sat in silence next to his mom on the park bench. He was exhausted from the marathon session they'd just had and he wasn't sure what more could be accomplished by carrying on any longer. Their eyes met and they seemed to come to a mutual understanding that they'd said everything that needed to be said – at least for the time being – and that it was time to part ways.

Although Linda yearned for her son to reach out and hug her, she knew that wasn't in the cards and she gave him a small smile as she prepared to stand.

'Thank you... so much for making this trip, Neal' she said, her voice resigned. 'It was wonderful to see you.'

Neal still had a couple of arrows he hadn't slung at her yet and, without hesitation, he prepared to let one last hurtful comment fly.

'Wish I could say I felt the same, Mom' he said harshly, his voice terse and his manner abrupt. He immediately felt ashamed for his comment but he stared ahead, defiant, not wanting to show any weakness.

Linda Bennett took the hurtful comment in stride, not showing any emotion; Neal had a right to his feelings and she respected the fact that he was being brutally honest with her. She struggled to stand, hanging on to her walker and Neal watched as her face became tense; she was obviously in pain.

Despite his intention to inflict as much hurt as he could and to lash out at his mom in every possible way, Neal surprised himself by reaching out to steady her, realizing he was no longer feeling the repulsion he'd felt earlier when he'd first touched her. She grabbed onto her walker and gave him a small reassuring smile as she straightened up, anxious to stand on her own two feet.

Neal stood beside her and mother and son started to make their way up the short path, back to the residence.

WCWCWC

Sara had returned to her seat in the lobby and she watched through the glass doors as Neal and Linda slowly made their way back. She could see that Neal looked more relaxed than he had earlier, his shoulders not as tense as he walked alongside his mother. It was impossible to know from their demeanour how things had gone and Sara continued to study them as they got closer, looking for some clue as to what might have transpired.

She stood, holding the door open for them as they both stepped in, noticing the lines on Linda's face – a weariness she hadn't seen there earlier.

'Hey' Neal said as he stood next to Sara, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. 'Ready to hit the road?'

'Sure' Sara said as she smiled at the elderly woman. 'Linda, can we walk you up to your room before we go?' she asked.

Linda looked up at Sara, smiling at the offer. 'I'm fine, thank you' she said. 'Sara, it was lovely seeing you again.'

Sara instinctively reached out to give the woman a hug as Neal watched, impassive.

'Thank you both for coming' Linda said as she prepared to take her leave. She looked one last time into her son's steely blue eyes, studying him and wondering if this might be the last time she would ever lay eyes on him.

'Goodbye Mother' Neal said simply as he took Sara's hand in his and turned to leave.

WCWCWC

'Uncle Peter, what are you doing here?' Liam asked as he spotted the ex-G-man lurking right outside White Plains District High.

'I came to pick you up and take you back to Brooklyn for dinner' he said, brightly.

'But I...' Liam began.

'I know, I know... you have a GSA meeting after dinner' said Peter authoritatively. 'I'll get you back here by 7:30, don't worry.'

'Where are my folks?' Liam asked as he dumped his backpack in the back seat of Peter's car.

'They decided to stay over in St. Louis and come back tomorrow' Peter responded, taking his place behind the wheel.

'Sorry we couldn't make it the other night but I heard all about your exploits from your dad - he gave me a play by play of the game... and he told me about your award. Congratulations!' Peter said as he pulled out of the parking lot on the way to pick up Hope in the Bronx.

'Yeah... it was great' Liam answered in that self-deprecating way he had of taking compliments.

'I hope you're hungry for some of your Aunt Elizabeth's cooking. I think she said she was making lasagna' Peter added, knowing it was one of Liam's favorites.

Peter was glad for the smile he got in return and he leaned in to turn on the radio.

'Whatever station you want, buddy' he said.

WCWCWC

'Good job everyone!' Hope said as she closed out the art class.

It was almost five o'clock and she'd promised to be ready to leave when her uncle Peter swung by to pick her up. Class had gone well and Caitlin's behavior had been exemplary – although Hope had a nagging suspicion that the teen's irreproachable conduct would be short lived. She didn't have the same unwavering confidence her dad seemed to have where the teenager was concerned.

'Thank you, Hope' Caitlin said as she walked over to say goodbye.

'Sure' Hope said without looking up.

'I have a feeling you're not thrilled about me moving in with you guys' Caitlin said, sounding hurt.

'Well... I... to be honest, Caitlin, this isn't about me' Hope answered, non-commitally.

'I _know_ this is my last chance...' said the teen, trying to engage Hope in a conversation she obviously didn't want to have.

'Well, you haven't exactly proven yourself so far, have you?' Hope said in a bitchy tone she almost immediately regretted.

Caitlin took it on the chin; she knew Hope was right.

'No, but I promised your mom and dad I wouldn't let them down' Caitlin responded.

'I'll believe it when I see it' Hope said, looking up and seeing the look of hurt on the girl's face. 'Look, Caitlin, I really wish you all the best and I'll do _my_ part... but if you _hurt_ my parents in any way...' she began, letting the words float in the air.

'I won't' Caitlin interrupted earnestly as she stared back. 'I promise.'

'I hope you can live up to that promise' Hope said as she gathered the last of her things and walked out of the room.

WCWCWC

The taxi ride from the retirement home was eerily quiet and Sara reluctantly refrained from asking anything of her husband. She was trying to gauge his mood but she wasn't having much luck; his face was expressionless and it was obviously not the time or the place to start delving into what had happened. She hoped that, regardless of what had taken place, Neal had been able to tell his mom how he really felt and that he'd found it in his heart to listen to what she had to say.

Neal broke the silence, turning to her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

'Did you book us a room?' he asked.

'Yeah, at the Westin' she responded with an encouraging smile.

He nodded in response. 'Would you mind if I lie down for a little while before dinner? I've... I've got this massive headache' Neal said, staring out the car window.

'Of course not, honey. Whatever you want... you know, we don't _have to_ go out to dinner if you're not up to it. We can order room service or I can pick us up something...' Sara began.

'S'okay' he responded with a shrug. 'Just... let's see how I feel later.'

He didn't speak another word and Sara didn't press him; whatever had transpired between Neal and his mom, he obviously needed some time on his own to let the dust settle before he was ready to share.

And when he was finally ready to talk about it, she'd be there.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

The Westin was located in the historic Cupples Station section of town, a neighborhood Neal remembered all too well from his many years as a resident of St. Louis. As the cab pulled up to the front door of the hotel, Sara could see his eyes taking in the surrounding buildings, the nearby Stadium, the famous Gateway Arch. The look on his face was still impossible to decipher and, despite her concern for her husband, Sara had thus far managed to respect his need for silence. She paid the cab driver and the couple made their way into the hotel lobby with Sara leading the way and Neal following close behind, lugging their overnight bag.

The friendly person at the desk gave them a welcoming smile and Sara proceeded to check in, with Neal still silent at her side.

'Would you like me to book you in for one of our spa services? We have a special on couples massages' said the young lady.

Sara looked over at Neal who seemed to be elsewhere, most certainly not in the moment.

'I'll call down if we decide...' Sara said as she signed the guest card and guided a shell-shocked Neal towards the elevator.

He looked like he'd run a race – and lost. He dragged his feet, looking totally done in and although his exhaustion was of the emotional variety, it was just as intense as any physical fatigue. The bright and airy room welcomed them, the sun streaming in from the southern exposure facing the street and Neal made an effort to smile at Sara as he wearily let himself drop onto the edge of the bed. He watched as she fell to her knees in front of him to help him remove his shoes.

He gave her a small laugh. 'You don't need to do that' he said softly as he lovingly touched her hair.

Sara just ignored him and finished the task. She made quick work of pulling back the duvet and, taking off her own shoes, she sat up against the headboard, grabbing one of the soft plush pillows onto her lap as Neal crawled up onto the bed and nestled his head on the welcoming pillow, without a single word.

Although she had dozens of questions rattling around in her brain, Sara knew that Neal would talk when the time was right but in the meantime, she let her head drop back against the headboard, feeling him snuggle up in her lap, his arm tightly wound around her hips as he pulled her in.

She could feel the tautness in every muscle in his body and her hand went to his temple as she began to gently rub, running her hand through Neal's hair as she heard him moan in appreciation. He was prone to headaches ever since his brain injury years before and whenever he became tense, the tension seemed to go straight to his head and on a couple of occasions, he'd had migraines. More frequently, he had ocular auras, benign visual disturbances that began with a blind spot and culminated with zig-zag lines in his field of vision; he'd had them for years, sometimes with and sometimes without the accompanying migraine and the aura usually lasted about 30 minutes during which time he would close his eyes and wait for it to pass.

'Are you having an aura?' she asked as Neal nodded against the pillow.

'Do you want me to get a cool cloth?' she asked lovingly.

'No' Neal moaned as he let out a sigh. 'Don't move.'

Sara sat there, looking down at her tall, robust husband curled up against her in a little ball and she let out an audible sigh as she felt his body slowly start to relax.

Within minutes, Neal was asleep, leaving Sara with all those unanswered questions.

WCWCWC

'We'll pick you up at 9:30' Peter said as he dropped Liam off at White Plains District High.

'Thanks!' said Liam as he walked towards a bunch of students who were heading in to the Gay Straight Alliance meeting.

'So, what do you say you and I grab a coffee somewhere while we wait?' Peter said, turning to face his goddaughter in the car seat beside him.

'Do you want to come over to our place?' she asked. 'I should check on Raffie anyway. He's been alone since noon.'

They were about a dozen blocks away from the Caffrey residence and Peter Burke pointed the car in that direction. Raffie was more than happy to see one of his humans arriving and immediately ran to the back door to be let out.

Hope got busy putting on some coffee and setting out some food for the dog while Peter took a spot on the couch in the nearby family room, taking the liberty of turning on the television to see if there were any games on.

'You know, I can pick up Liam after his meeting _all by myself_ , you really don't need to hang around' Hope said as she handed her uncle a piping hot cup of coffee.

'And miss out on spending another couple of hours with my favorite goddaughter?' Peter said in jest.

With Neal and Sara out of town, Peter wanted to make sure both of the kids were safely home before he signed off; anyway, he couldn't think of a better place to be – in front of the tube with a steaming cup of Italian Roast and his favorite young person nearby.

'You _do_ know I'm a legal adult, right?' Hope said with a laugh although she knew it would make absolutely no difference to Peter.

'So tell me, how are things going with you and Cam?' Peter asked, changing the subject.

He'd been observing the two of them for the past couple of weeks as they worked side by side at the gallery and he knew from his earlier conversations with Hope that she was still unsure about where they stood and more importantly, where they were headed.

'Oh, Uncle Peter' she said with a touch of anguish. 'I don't know... When I'm with him, I'm happy and content but... I've always got this little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that maybe, just maybe, there's someone else out there for me.'

Peter listened in empathy. 'You'll figure it out, sweetie' he said as Hope shrugged.

Seeing the hesitation in Hope's eyes, Peter decided to move on to another topic; he didn't want to make her feel any more uncomfortable than he already had.

'Liam looks happy' Peter commented. 'He's really come into his own over the last little while.'

'Tell me about it. It's great to see him finally opening up to everyone' she answered.

'So, did you know for a long time that...' Peter began, obviously feeling awkward about asking.

'...that he's gay?' Hope said with a laugh, putting him out of his misery. 'You _can_ say the word 'gay' Uncle Peter! It isn't taboo.'

Peter was always uneasy about discussing matters of sexuality and he was pretty well a straight arrow, white bread kind of guy.

'I know. I just... El laughs at me when I tell her I didn't see it coming. He's... he doesn't...' Peter said, struggling as he tried to express himself without sounding like an old geezer.

Hope knew her godfather well enough to know what he was trying to say. 'You mean, he doesn't 'look' gay because he's not effeminate? Because he's a jock?'

Peter shrugged, feeling even more awkward.

'Really, Uncle Peter? What do you think a gay person _looks_ like anyway? You know better than that, some guys are effeminate and straight and some aren't and are _definitely_ gay.'

'I know...' Peter said, suddenly embarrassed about bringing up the subject.

'Well, I'm just happy Liam is finally able to be open about who _he_ is' Hope said. 'And Cody is a really great guy; I'm glad Liam's first boyfriend is a young man who's comfortable with his sexuality.'

Peter Burke nodded in agreement; all he wanted was for all the people he cared about, especially Neal's kids, to be happy.

WCWCWC

'Wow! This looks great!' Sara said as she stared down at the plate of seafood manicotti the waitress had just placed in front of her.

'It's their specialty' Neal answered. 'I'm glad the place is still here after all this time.'

'So, Caffrey, did you really work here when you were seventeen?' she asked.

'I most certainly did. You see that section over there by the bar? That was _my_ section' he said, thankful there was no one from the old days roaming around who might recognize him from all those years ago.

'It wasn't my proudest moment' he admitted. 'I got fired after a few weeks when I got caught taking some cash from another waitress' tip jar...'

Sara reached out to touch his hand. 'I know that there are a lot of memories around here... and that most of them are painful.'

Neal laughed a small laugh. 'Not _all_ of them... Thanks for taking that detour by the high school and the pool hall, by the way. I'm really not sure why but I really needed to drive by and see those places again...'

After a solid hour and a half nap, Neal had woken up seemingly back to his old self; his migraine had thankfully faded to a marginally annoying headache which was a lot more manageable.

'Did you talk to the kids?' he asked.

'I called Hope to tell her we were staying over. Peter insisted on having the two of them over for dinner' she answered as Neal smiled and shook his head. It was just like Peter to dote on the kids when they were away, even just for one night.

'Sorry about earlier' he said hesitantly as he took a bite of the heavenly pasta.

'It's okay. I'm here to... you know... to support you, whatever you need' she responded.

'And you do' he said with a grateful smile. 'Thanks Repo; I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there...'

They ate in silence for a few minutes while Neal appeared to be gathering his thoughts. Now that he'd had a couple of hours to unwind, he was beginning to digest what had happened with his mother and he'd begun the inevitable and seemingly repetitive playback of their difficult discussion, the dialogue playing over and over again in his mind.

'I was pretty hard on her' he finally said, moving on to the subject Sara had been anxious to hear about.

'She took it all, though. I'm surprised she didn't... rationalize anything she'd done. She just let me keep coming at her with one harsh criticism after another and... well, she just sat there and took it all' he said, his eyes faraway.

He returned his eyes to Sara. 'I think I might have gone too far' he said meekly.

'But how do you feel, now that everything's been said?' she asked.

Neal let out a sigh, carefully considering his wife's question. 'Honestly?' he said. 'I feel liberated and... like an incredible weight has been lifted off my shoulders.'

'That's good, isn't it?' Sara said, encouraging him to continue.

'I suppose' Neal began. 'It's weird... Rationally, I can understand what she must have been going through – alone with a kid, betrayed by the man she loved but... the kid in me, he couldn't... he couldn't understand, he was just so wrapped up in his own feelings and he couldn't make any sense of it. Now that I've finally been able to let go of all that, I can definitely see her side of things.'

Sara nodded again in understanding. Neal had pretty well summed it up. If the little boy could let go of the pain, the wonderful, caring man would be able to see things more rationally and act accordingly.

'Part of me feels bad for hurting her but then again... I feel so relieved for having told her how I really felt' Neal admitted.

'Honey, that's what healing is all about. You can't second guess yourself for whatever you said today. It's been building up inside you for a long, long time' Sara said, wisely.

'You're right' Neal said. 'But I want to move ahead now that it's over. I feel like I can finally move on and leave that hurt behind.'

Sara waited wisely, letting him continue.

'I'm just not sure where that leaves me with my mom. I... I know this is going to sound weird but now I'm wondering if I want to have a relationship with her.'

Sara was taken aback by Neal's last comment; she never imagined that he might want to see Linda again after having it out but knowing Neal as she did, it wasn't surprising that he wanted to move forward towards some sort of resolution.

'It's too early to tell but... I don't know, honey... I'm certainly not ready to forgive her yet...but I guess I'm more open to listening to what those years were like for her' Neal said thoughtfully.

Sara's hope that Neal would come out of this whole experience feeling more liberated seemed to be coming to fruition and she watched with delight as her husband's demeanor slowly returned to the self-possessed, content man she'd always known and loved.

Baby steps, she reminded herself... baby steps.

WCWCWC

Peter and Hope made their way back to White Plains District High, having lost track of time. It was ten minutes past the appointed hour and the two of them watched with interest as they drove up, noticing two police cars and an ambulance right by the main doors of the school.

They exchanged worried looks and without hesitation, they ran towards the school, anticipating the worst.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Peter and Hope ran up the steps leading to the school, just in time to see a stretcher being wheeled out by a couple of EMTs. Their concern temporarily abated as they spotted Liam following closely behind the gurney, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a look of total horror on his face.

'Liam!' Hope called as they got nearer.

He didn't seem to hear her; his eyes were glued to the inert form which lay on the stretcher as several students followed behind him with the same look of terror on their faces. Liam's best friend, Will Allenby, hovered nearby, his hand on Liam's back, keeping his best bud steady as his body shook uncontrollably.

As Peter and Hope got closer, they could see that Liam was sporting a bruised cheek and a swollen eye and Peter moved in to put an arm around his nephew as various scenarios began running through his mind.

'It's Cody' Liam said, his voice lifeless as he wriggled out of Peter's grasp.

'What happened?' Hope asked, taking in the look of total despair on her little brother's face.

'I never saw them coming...' he said, not making much sense. 'I want to go to the hospital with Cody.'

'Never saw _who_ coming?' Peter asked, morphing into his old FBI persona.

Will Allenby spoke up, his arm around Liam. 'Liam and Cody were attacked by three guys out in the hallway by the gym.'

'Attacked?' Hope repeated, incredulous.

She could see two police officers off in the distance talking to some of the students and her eyes returned to Liam who kept staring in horror as the paramedics prepared to lift the gurney carrying Cody's motionless body into the ambulance.

'Cody got the worst of it' Will explained as Liam continued to shiver, despite the warm spring evening and the fact that he was wrapped in a woolen blanket, compliments of the paramedics.

Liam's eyes went to Hope and she could see tears forming there. 'Hope, I want to go to the hospital with Cody' he repeated, in a daze.

Suddenly, one of the EMTs walked up to Peter. 'Is this your son, sir?'

'No... my nephew' Peter answered. 'What happened?'

'As far as we can make out, three boys were waiting in the wings and they attacked these two. This one...' he said, pointing to Cody '...took the brunt of it. We've checked out your nephew but you might want to bring him over to White Plains Hospital just to have him looked at. He's showing signs of shock' he added as Peter nodded.

Liam kept staring ahead, repeating the same old thing. 'I want to go with Cody.'

Peter and Hope exchanged worried looks, taking a spot on either side of him, trying to keep him from losing it.

'My brother has type one diabetes' Hope said to the EMT as he prepared to load Cody into the ambulance. Her brother had been living with the disease for a couple of years now and Hope was well aware that high levels of stress could have a negative impact on the amount of sugar in his blood.

This new tidbit of information seemed to be of particular interest to the paramedic and he guided Liam over to sit on a nearby bench. 'We'll do a quick check before we take off' said the paramedic as he began to check him out.

'You should definitely bring him into the ER and have him properly looked at' said the EMT as he turned to Peter. 'Would you like us to call another ambulance or can you get him there yourself?'

'We can manage' said Peter, his arm steady around Liam. 'Hope, can you run and get the car?' he asked.

Hope nodded and squeezed Liam's arm in a show of love and support before running off.

WCWCWC

'This was a good idea, baby' Neal cooed as he held Sara against his chest, feeling the warm, bubbling water enveloping his tired body.

The Jacuzzi they'd discovered in their hotel ensuite was big enough for two and they snuggled together, Sara's back up against Neal's solid chest as she pressed up against him.

'Mmmm' Sara said, luxuriating in the soothing bubbles around her, letting them wash away all the tension from the long, stressful day.

'What a day, huh?' Neal added as he pushed away Sara's hair and gently kissed her shoulder, letting his lips linger on her soft, warm skin.

'You're telling me' she responded, reaching back to run her hand through Neal's hair. 'How are _you_ doing, Caffrey?'

'Better... I wonder how my mom's doing?' he said, his voice quiet.

'I'm sure this was really hard on her too... but she knew you weren't coming to see her to thank her for all she's done for you' Sara answered in her usual caustic way.

Neal let out a nervous laugh. 'Still... she's so frail' he said, echoing Sara's words from earlier in the day. 'And I'm not sure about her health; she said in her letter she wasn't well.'

Sara looked straight ahead; she still hadn't told Neal about the conversation she'd had with the retirement home's nurse and he had no way of knowing just how precarious his mom's health really was; it would do no good for her to tell him now when he was already having second thoughts about how hard he'd been on her. She'd wait until they got back home to fill him in on the details.

'So, what did Hope have to say?' Sara asked, running her hand lovingly up and down Neal's arm.

'She just wanted to fill me in on how things went in class with Caitlin this afternoon. Says she behaved like a model student, did all the tidying up, couldn't do enough to help...' Neal said as his mind seemed to wander. 'Do you get the feeling Hope's not completely on board with this Caitlin thing?'

'Well, she loves you and she probably doesn't want to see you being jerked around by a rebellious fifteen year old' Sara responded.

'Still... I'll have a talk with her when we get back...' he said, his voice faraway.

'We're going to have to be pretty creative with our sleeping arrangements' Sara said, thinking ahead to the next couple of months, now that Hope was home for the summer.

'Caitlin'll just have to sleep on the hide-a-bed until we figure out something more permanent' Neal answered, thinking back to those few months when he and Sara had taken up residence on the couch in the family room.

He'd suffered a gunshot wound the previous summer and he hadn't been able to navigate the stairs up to their bedroom. Their main floor had turned into a chaotic mess during that period and he thought ahead to another summer of having clothes and personal effects strewn all over their family room. If that was the price they had to pay to have Caitlin nearby, safe and sound, they would just have to make do.

Sara let out a satisfied sigh; glad that she'd been able to talk Neal into staying overnight, away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives. She could feel her husband start to relax; after a wonderful meal and a couple of glasses of wine, he was finally returning to his old self following an emotionally packed day.

'Did Liam tell you where he wants to go for his birthday dinner on Saturday?' he asked, thinking ahead to the next few days.

'What do _you_ think?' Sara said with a laugh.

'Ah, Italian again, huh?' Neal said. 'I thought we'd invite Caitlin along; do you think that'd be okay with the kids?'

'She's going to be part of our family in a couple of weeks... why not?' Sara said as Neal smiled.

Despite her initial reluctance to plunge ahead with this new adventure, she'd been one hundred percent on board since they'd made the decision and Neal was thankful he could count on her to back his play all the way.

'Oh, and Cody will be along too...' Neal added, thoughtfully, his lips lingering on Sara's neck.

'...and Cam' Sara said. 'Wow, our family's growing, Caffrey' she said as she jostled him. 'You've always _wanted_ a big family!'

Neal laughed as he hugged her; life had a uncanny way of throwing things at you when you least expected it. The playful mood was broken by Sara's phone ringing in the distance and she made a move to get up as Neal held her back, needing to stay in the moment just a little while longer.

'What if it's the kids?' asked Sara.

'I just talked to Hope less than an hour ago...and Peter's with them. C'mon. Five more minutes...' Neal moaned as he reached his arms around her waist, cupping her breast and pulling her in tighter.

His mind (and the rest of his body) seemed to be moving on to other, more carnal, pursuits and Sara wasn't complaining in the least.

'They'll leave a message if they need us to call back' he added, his voice rough and sensuous as his lips returned to Sara's shoulder, lingering there, impossible for her to resist.

His laid back response was a testament to his overwhelming need to relax; Neal worried about the kids constantly and if _he_ was able to ignore the phone for five minutes, surely Sara could do the same.

She felt herself melting in his insistent arms as he brought his mouth to her ear and whispered amorously.

'Five more minutes...'

WCWCWC

The emergency room at White Plains Hospital was bustling on this Thursday evening and Hope and Peter were instructed to sit and wait as Liam was brought back to one of the examination rooms to be given the once over. Details of the attack were slowly starting to come to light although the two people who could best describe what had happened were temporarily out of commission and in no fit state to provide any more information.

'What do you think?' Hope asked her uncle as she paced in front of him.

Peter shrugged. 'Let's let Liam explain when he comes back' he said wisely, not wanting to jump to any premature conclusions.

'Do you think we should phone Mom and Dad?' she asked.

'Why don't we wait and see what the doctor says first' Peter said, rising and urging Hope to take a seat, something she finally did, reluctantly.

'I don't want to believe this is one of those... homophobic attacks we keep hearing about...' she said, her eyes narrowing.

Peter shook his head. Unfortunately, homophobia _was_ still alive and well and he'd seen his fair share of it in his long career. News reports were rife with such senseless acts but he never thought he would witness such a horrific attack first hand, involving someone he loved.

He put his arm around Hope as he spoke. 'Let's not jump to any conclusions until we talk to Liam, okay?' he said as he looked into his goddaughter's worried eyes.

Hope was immediately back on her feet as she spotted the Millers coming through the door of the ER. She ran towards them, with Peter in tow.

'What happened?' Mike Miller asked, barely keeping it together.

'We're not sure. Cody and Liam are being examined by the doctor' Hope explained as the newly arrived couple made their way to the triage desk, hoping to get more news.

They were instructed to take a seat and did so reluctantly, settling in next to Peter and Hope. Peter introduced himself to the Millers, explaining that Neal and Sara were out of town and using some of his FBI-acquired skills to try to keep them calm while everyone waited for news.

Mindy Miller began to cry as her husband put an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. 'Maybe we should have gone to the police' she cried as Peter watched with interest.

'What do you mean?' Peter asked. 'Did Cody get some sort of warning that this might happen?'

'Unfortunately, he's gotten a couple of threats in the past...' Mike Miller explained. '...ever since he started up a chapter of the Gay Straight Alliance at school.'

Peter let out a loud sigh. 'What kind of threats?'

'You know, just the usual nasty comments on the club's Facebook Page... with slurs and...' Mike began, unable to go on. He just wanted to know that his son was alright and he seemed unable to give any more information for the time being.

The foursome continued their wait, noticing a couple of kids from the GSA club trickling in.

By the time, Liam stepped out of the examination room thirty minutes later, there were over a dozen people waiting to welcome him back.

WCWCWC

Neal stood in the hotel room, barefoot, in a plush white bathrobe as he towel dried his hair. His body was finally relaxed and stress-free and he gazed over at Sara from across the room with a look of lust and desire in his eyes as she stood, wearing a skimpy towel and nothing else. He stared broodingly at her, eyeing her long legs – which he suddenly imagined wrapped tightly around his hips – and the ends of her hair wet and dripping onto her slim shoulders. She looked so hot and Neal felt a familiar rush of desire run through his body as he studied her, preparing to make a move after some innocent yet most enjoyable cuddling in the hot tub.

He watched as she brought her phone to her ear, listening for a message from the earlier call they'd missed. Five minutes had somehow turned into more than half an hour; she'd begun to melt when Neal had rubbed her shoulders – putty in his hands as he set the mood for what he hoped would become more serious groping once they hit the bedroom.

Neal observed as the look on her face went from neutral to concerned and he saw those telltale worry lines appear on her forehead.

'What is it? Is it the kids?' he asked, his mood instantly sobering in response to the look on Sara's face.

He took a few steps, closing the distance between them.

'No' she said, a look of shock on her face. 'It's the retirement home. Your mom's been taken to hospital.'

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

'Yes, that's two Ns and two Ts, B-E-N-N-E-T-T' Sara said into the phone as Neal sat across from her at the small hotel room table, fingers nervously drumming on the wood surface.

'Thank you' she answered to whoever was on the other end of the line.

Neal looked up expectantly.

'They're putting me through to her floor' Sara whispered in response to his inquisitive stare.

'Yes' Sara said, repeating what she'd just told the person at the information desk. 'My name is Sara Ellis and I wanted some information on _my mother-in-law_ , Mrs. Linda Bennett. She was brought in earlier tonight.'

Neal grimaced, taken aback by the two words Sara had never had occasion to utter in all the years he'd known her.

'Thank you' she said, rolling her eyes and trying to remain patient as she was put on hold once again.

'She's just checking with her nurse...' Sara said, placing her hand on Neal's in an attempt to quiet the unnerving sound he was making.

She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile – which didn't seem very effective as Neal continued to stare intensely into her face.

'Yes... Yes... I understand... And she's resting comfortably? Do you know when she'll be released from hospital?' Sara asked the disembodied voice on the other end.

Neal took the pad and pen laying nearby on the table and scribbled madly, turning the paper around for Sara to read.

'And what are your visiting hours tomorrow?' she asked, frowning at Neal.

'And are there any exceptions for... close family members? Yes, I understand. Thank you very much.' Sara said before hanging up.

'Well?' Neal asked, on the edge of his seat.

'They called for an ambulance because she showed signs of arrhythmia; she got dizzy after dinner and she passed out' Sara explained as he listened attentively.

'She's isn't in any danger but they want to run some more tests on her, they're keeping her in for a couple of days' she explained.

Neal let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding since he'd heard his mom had been rushed to hospital. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for any harm coming to her.

'Neal, this _isn't_ your fault' Sara stated unequivocally; she could sense his feelings of guilt and anguish being telegraphed loud and clear.

He scoffed in response; right, this was all just a coincidence after he'd used her as a punching bag to serve his own selfish purposes.

'Look at me' Sara insisted, forcing Neal to look into her eyes. 'When we were there earlier, the nurse from the retirement home explained to me that your mom already has cardiac issues... and that she's refusing all treatments for stomach cancer' she added as Neal scowled back.

'And you didn't think to lead with that when we got back here earlier?' he asked, irritated.

'Look, Neal, the last thing you needed was to hear about her health issues when you were already beating yourself up for being honest with her today' Sara explained.

' _Brutally_ honest...' he corrected as he stood and began to pace the room.

'So, can we check in on her tomorrow before we leave?' he asked tentatively, unsure as to whether or not that was what he really _wanted_ to do.

Sara shook her head. 'Visiting hours start at one in the afternoon and they're pretty strict about visitors sticking to them... unless the patient is in ICU or... on their palliative care unit.'

She watched as Neal's mind attempted to compute the possibilities.

'And don't forget we're meeting with Miranda Cross at 4:00 tomorrow afternoon' she reminded him.

Neal let out a breath as he nodded in understanding while Sara stood to take his hand.

'Honey, look at me. You _cannot_ beat yourself up about this. What you did was the _right_ thing... for you. And Linda knew when she reached out to you that it was inevitable that you would react like this when you finally came face to face. She was _ready_ to hear everything you had to say today.'

She put her hand up to touch his cheek, snaking it to the back of his neck and pulling him in as Neal let himself be comforted, his hands instantly up in Sara's hair.

'I know you're right but still... I wish I'd had a little more self control...' he murmured into her ear.

'You had self-control for forty years, honey, it was bound to get messy when it finally all came out' Sara said as she hugged her husband.

Neal pulled away to look at her and nodded once again, realizing the wisdom of Sara's words.

'Look, she's in no immediate danger...' Sara began '...and _if_ you decide you want to see her again, we can always come back in a couple of weeks.'

'You're right' Neal said with a small smile.

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, noting it was close to midnight. 'What time is our flight in the morning?'

'Ten thirty. We have to get some sleep' she said as she pulled back the duvet and fluffed the pillows on the bed.

Neal disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes and returned to bed, curling up behind Sara's warm, comforting body. Her arms encircled his as he pulled her in tight. She murmured a gentle 'I love you' and within moments, he could hear her soft, rhythmic breathing, letting him know she'd drifted off.

Neal lay there for a long time, that pesky playback of his earlier confrontation with his mom playing on a loop in his exhausted mind.

WCWCWC

'Are you responsible for this young man?' a woman in a white lab coat asked Peter as he and Hope stood to welcome Liam back to the ER waiting room.

'Yes' Peter said, putting out his hand to greet the doctor.

'His sugar levels are fine and his injuries appear to be superficial' she began as Liam glanced over at the Millers who sat nearby.

'Here's a prescription for some pain medication. His eye will be sore for a couple of days but his CT scan checked out normal and there don't appear to be any other major injuries. I suggest you have him looked at by your family doctor by the middle of next week' she said in conclusion.

'Thank you doctor' Peter said as he turned to check the state Liam was in.

He was looking much calmer and more composed than he had been earlier and he took a seat between Hope and the Millers who all turned to face him, hoping for some explanation as to what had transpired back at the school. The eight or so students who had come over following the incident also moved in closer, forming a protective shield around Liam.

'Any news on Cody?' Liam asked looking around at all the anxious faces; it was obviously the main thing on everybody's mind.

'They've sent him for some X-rays and a scan' answered Mike Miller. 'We should hear soon.'

He watched as Liam's eyes clouded over in worry.

'He's not in any danger' Mindy Miller added encouragingly as she saw the look on his face.

This seemed to reassure Liam, at least for the time being, and he turned his mind back to the task of describing what had happened at the school. To the unspoken question, he began to tell the tale of the horrible experience he and Cody had just been through.

'Cody and I were headed to the office to get the cash box from our sales the other night. When we walked past the hallway by the gym, we could see three big guys lurking around. Cody suggested we turn back to avoid them but... the next thing I knew, two of the guys grabbed me...and Cody tried to... step in' Liam explained.

Mindy and Mike Miller exchanged worried looks; their son was a much slighter person than Liam Caffrey was. At nearly six feet, Liam weighed in at close to 165 pounds of solid muscle whereas Cody stood at five foot eight and was of a much slimmer build.

'The third guy grabbed Cody and threw him down on the floor... he started to kick him in the stomach and I tried to break free...but the two other guys were holding me back. One of them gave me a quick shot to the stomach and the other one plowed me in the face. I kept fighting them...' Liam said, his voice getting emotional.

He obviously felt badly that he hadn't been able to break free from the boys' grasp and help Cody who'd been lying defenceless on the ground. Hope placed a protective arm around her baby brother, urging him to continue.

'The guy just kept... kicking him and punching him and... once Cody was down, he didn't stand a chance' Liam said, starting to shake once more.

After a moment, he continued. 'Then Josie showed up...' he said, as the young woman in question nodded nearby '...and she screamed and the guys got spooked and ran off'

Will stood with his arm around his girlfriend; thank God she'd interrupted the attack. Who knows how much longer the violence would have gone on if she hadn't happened by.

'Do you know who these boys are?' Peter asked, anxious to get justice for his nephew.

'Yes' Liam said meekly.

'They're three guys from the football team' Josie added from behind Liam. 'I can tell you their names; one of them is in my math class.'

'Did they say anything?' asked Mike Miller, wondering if the attack could be linked to those horrible messages he'd read on social media.

Liam looked horrified in response to the question. He had no idea people could say such hateful, homophobic things to another human being. He nodded, unable to give any details just yet; instead, his mind returned to Cody who had suffered the brunt of the senseless act of violence.

'Is Cody going to be alright?' Liam asked again. This was obviously his main concern and nothing else seemed to matter, least of all finding who was responsible for their fate - at least for the time being.

'We'll find out soon' Mike Miller answered stoically. He shared Liam's concern for his son, trying to keep himself from falling apart for his wife's sake.

The group took their seats to continue their vigil; Liam surrounded by a roomful of love.

WCWCWC

Sara could hear repetitive clicking noises and she frowned as she forced one eye open to check out where the sound was coming from. A warm glow enveloped the room and she turned in bed, her senses unpleasantly assaulted by the bright light from the computer screen on Neal's lap.

'What are you _doing_?' she asked with a grimace as she spotted Neal sitting up in bed, typing away with one hand, credit card in the other.

'Nothing... I'm done' he said as he clicked away a few more times and closed the laptop precipitously, leaving only the soft glow from the bathroom light, which they'd left on in case they needed to move around the unfamiliar space during the night.

Neal lay his head down on his pillow, facing Sara, their faces mere inches apart as he smiled lovingly at his wife.

'You okay?' she asked, suddenly wide awake.

'I'm fine' he answered as he drew nearer, their foreheads touching and their noses rubbing together.

'I just can't get to sleep, that's all' he murmured as their lips connected in a soft, gentle kiss.

Sara felt the warmth of Neal's breath as he grazed her lips, that comforting and familiar feeling of his soft mouth on hers.

'I think I might have something that can help with that' she whispered suggestively as she kissed him back gently, once, twice, three times.

'Oh yeah? What's that?' Neal responded, his voice hoarse, playing along as he ran his tongue gently over her bottom lip and proceeded to kiss her there, their foreheads continuing to brush up against each other.

'What about a backrub?' Sara teased as she rubbed her nose against Neal's.

'Naw' he said languidly, kissing her again right on the corner of her mouth ever so softly.

'Hum...' she said, playfully. 'How about I sing you a lullaby, then?' she suggested as they kept kissing, soft, little wet kisses.

'Uh, uh' Neal answered mischievously, his mouth busily nibbling at hers.

'Bed time story? There's the one about...' Sara began light-heartedly.

'Nope' Neal interrupted, his lips still lingering softly on hers.

'What then?' Sara asked innocently as Neal bit her bottom lip gently and proceeded to kiss and make it better.

'I'll give you one more guess...' he answered provocatively as he nuzzled her, their noses rubbing together.

'A cup of hot cocoa?' she answered, without missing a beat.

Neal let out a muffled laugh as he grabbed her by the shoulders and flipped her onto her back.

'Shut up, Repo' he said playfully as he dove in for a deep, penetrating kiss.

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Hope and Peter wandered back from the vending machine, watching as Liam sat, surrounded by his many friends and Cody's worried parents. It was now close to midnight and although Liam had been given a clean bill of health, there was still no definitive word on Cody's condition.

'Do you think we should call Mom and Dad?' Hope asked her godfather for the third time.

Peter glanced over at Liam, then back at Hope. 'I don't know, honey. It's late... and there's nothing they can do about it tonight.'

'Yeah but... you know how Dad is...' Hope answered.

'What time is their flight scheduled to get in?' Peter asked, trying to come to the right decision for everyone involved.

'A little after one thirty' she answered.

'Look, I doubt they'd be able to get an earlier flight at this point... If we call them now, it'll just cause them to have a sleepless night. I think we should leave it up to Liam, see if he needs to talk to them tonight' Peter said as they got into earshot of the group.

Liam spoke up, having heard the last little bit of conversation between his sister and his uncle.

'No. I'm fine' he said without a doubt. 'I don't want to bother Mom and Dad tonight. Dad's got enough on his plate. It's late and... well, when they get here tomorrow, we can fill them in on what happened... that's good enough' he said.

One of the nurses from the triage desk appeared and walked over to where Mike and Mindy Miller sat, on the edge of their seats.

'Mr. and Mrs. Miller, can you please come with me? The doctor would like to speak to you about your son' she said as she pointed them down the hall.

Liam stood and watched as they followed her, anxious to hear the news regarding the young man he cared so much about.

WCWCWC

Sara lay on her back in room 1207 of the Westin Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. She could hear Neal snoring beside her, finally at peace after a roller coaster ride of emotions. She glanced over, seeing a small smile on his face; after their little romp in the sheets, she'd felt him totally relax and finally let go of all the stress and worry he'd been harboring since they'd gotten up that morning.

Now, _she_ was the one who was wide awake and her mind wandered ahead to their meeting with Miranda Cross the next day, the second of three home visits on their way to becoming foster parents to Caitlin Somersby.

Their lives were already full as it was and they were about to get a whole lot busier. Caitlin, although seemingly willing to make the necessary efforts in order to fit in, was nonetheless a troubled teen and Sara had no doubt that the road ahead would have its share of potholes. The teen reminded her a lot of Neal – she was creative, smart and impulsive; even at the ripe old age of 55, Neal had still not managed to reign in all his recklessness, although he'd learned some valuable lessons along the way. Sara hoped that in the short time they would have with Caitlin, they would be able to have a positive influence on the young girl's life.

She heard a loud snort as Neal flipped over towards his left, gunning for her, his arm flying wildly, finally coming to rest on her stomach as he grabbed for her in his sleep.

'Sara...' he moaned as she chuckled; at least he was dreaming of _her_.

WCWCWC

By the time Liam, Hope and Peter made it back home, it was 2:30 on Friday morning. Peter had insisted on staying over – he was much too tired to tackle the ride back to Brooklyn anyway. Now that there had been some news on Cody Miller's condition, Liam was feeling a little more settled although all of them were now thinking ahead to the inevitable fallout from this most unfortunate incident: Cody's long recuperation and the consequences for the three students who had carried out this heinous and cowardly act.

Before leaving the hospital, Liam had had five minutes with Cody who had been conscious but under heavy sedation following his diagnosis of a broken rib, extensive abdominal bruising and contusions to his face and head. While his parents looked on, he'd managed to give Liam a small hazy smile despite the fact he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Liam had uttered a mumbled and emotional 'I'm sorry'; he felt he'd somehow let Cody down by not being able to successfully fight off the two big guys who'd held him back while his boyfriend was being so savagely beaten.

He lay in bed for hours before finally dropping off near dawn, wondering how he and Cody were going to handle things with the school's administration and the police. His uncle Peter had been behaving as if it was a foregone conclusion that the thugs should be identified and brought to justice but Liam wasn't sure just how to handle the situation. If he identified the perpetrators, it might be to his and Cody's detriment whereas keeping mum threw a shroud of shame on their relationship, something he couldn't abide.

Liam couldn't believe how naive he'd been to think that his new relationship with Cody could be lived out in the open without repercussions; Cody had tried to warn him but Liam had refused to believe that a casual display of their closeness might irk some narrow-minded individuals and lead them to carry out such violent acts.

Liam found solace in sleep and he let his tired, achy body float away with happy thoughts of a world where judgement and hate were a thing of the past.

WCWCWC

Neal glanced at his watch and set it ahead one hour to reflect the time change; they would be landing at JFK in another twenty minutes. After checking in with the hospital earlier, they'd been reassured that Linda Bennett had had a good night's sleep and was resting comfortably while she waited for further testing. Now that everything had been said between him and his mother, Neal was realizing that all he wanted was for his mom to find peace of mind as she approached the end of her painfully difficult life.

Sara sat by his side, glancing out at the fluffy white clouds drifting by as they slowly began their descent into New York City and the return to their everyday life. She reached out to gently touch his hand and his eyes met hers in silent understanding; despite the drama, it had been a fruitful journey. He was finally free from the persistent resentment he wasn't aware had been nagging at him all those years. She'd been right to encourage him to face his past and he was thankful that she'd been there to help him wind down after his difficult meeting with his mom.

He thought ahead to the next few days on the home front: Liam's birthday dinner, the addition of Caitlin to their family, the return to work at his beloved gallery and school and he smiled a satisfied smile.

WCWCWC

Linda Bennett lay in her hospital bed, looking out at the bright sunny day. As difficult as the previous day had been, she'd finally gotten to lay eyes on her beloved son after so many years apart. She'd been successful in her resolve to sit in silence as he'd shared his painful childhood memories, recollections that had spilled out tainted with anger and resentment. Neal's denunciations had left her heartbroken; she was embarrassed to admit that she didn't remember much from that time in her life and hearing the events from the perspective of an innocent little boy had been devastating.

As much as she'd wanted to reach out and comfort him, she'd managed to hold herself back. It was obvious he hadn't welcomed any soothing gestures on her part and, regretably, she'd accepted that; it was her penance for not having been there all those years ago, when it counted. She didn't get to just hug him and behave as if all could be forgiven; it never would. But with any luck, Neal would finally be able to let go of those feelings of resentment and find the peace of mind which had eluded him thus far; if that was the eventual outcome of their painful exchange, her heartache would be well worth it.

She watched with interest as a nurse stood in the doorway to her room with an enormous bouquet of flowers and she glanced kindly over to the patient in the bed next to her; lucky woman had someone who was thinking of her.

'Mrs. Bennett' said the nurse. 'These came for you.'

'Me?' Linda said, perplexed; who on earth would be sending her flowers? Who even knew she was in the hospital?

'Someone out there wants to wish you well, I guess' the woman added cheerfully as she placed the gorgeous spring bouquet on the small table and carefully removed the card which was tucked in amongst the bright pink lilies.

Linda Bennett took the small envelope in her shaking hands as the mystery deepened. She carefully pulled out the small card and gasped as she read.

' _Thinking of you, Mom. Neal and Sara'_

WCWCWC

Hope paced nervously as she waited for her parents to appear in the airport terminal's arrival lounge. Peter had stayed behind with Liam and her job was to collect her mom and dad and give them a heads up about the events from the previous night. She knew her dad had been on a mission with his own mom and she hoped all had gone well on that front; one family crisis at a time was more than enough.

She thought back to Liam's horrified face from the night before as one of life's hardest lessons hit him squarely in the face. She'd seen some disturbing things while away in Pittsburgh - although any reprehensible acts of racism or sexual discrimination were swiftly condemned by the vast majority. It only took a couple of fanatics to cause chaos and Liam was so young to have to face such unbridled acts of hate. She shivered as she wondered how she would feel if Cam had been so senselessly brutalized just for being heterosexual; sadly, the world was still home to hate and judgement.

She was aware of a flurry of activity as the flight in from St. Louis was announced and she braced herself for her parents' appearance; they would wonder why she was there considering they had previously agreed that they would take a cab home. She noticed them through the thickening crowd and made her way over to greet them.

WCWCWC

'Liam, you can't let acts of violence go unpunished' Peter said as he sat across from the young man at the Caffreys' kitchen table.

'Uncle Peter, you don't understand what things are like in high school' Liam answered, his face anguished. 'If we turn these guys in, it'll just get worse and we'll never see the end of it.'

Peter sighed in response; he'd always been a 'by-the-book' guy. You did the crime, you did the time. He had no patience for injustice; as a matter of fact, that's the reason he'd dedicated almost forty years of his life to the FBI, to catch bad guys and make them pay for their crimes.

He took a deep breath before responding. 'Liam, can you really live with yourself if you just let them walk away?' Peter asked, leaning in to make his point.

Liam stared down at the table, unable to meet his uncle's eyes. He'd been taught that there were consequences to his actions – hell, his dad had been living proof of that – and Liam always tried to do the right thing. But life in high school held unspoken rules and if you ratted someone out, you lived with the consequences of being on someone's blacklist – along with any particular pack that person belonged to. He knew most of the guys on the football team and the majority of them were cool – as a matter of fact, Henry Jameson, the team's quarterback, had recently joined the Gay Straight Alliance; his older brother was gay and he wanted to support the LGBT community at school in any way he could. But the three jerks who had carried out the attack were known for their intolerance; they were jocks of the worst kind, arrogant and contemptuous. He knew that if he didn't speak up, he could never live with himself.

WCWCWC

'Hope!' Sara called out as she spotted their daughter in the crowd. 'What are you doing here? We told you we'd take a cab home.'

Neal was more interested in giving her a warm hug, pleasantly surprised to find her there waiting for them. He immediately sensed the tautness in her body and he pulled away.

'What is it? What's happened?' he asked.

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

'And you're telling us the truth? Liam's really alright? Why in heaven didn't you call us?' Sara asked, her voice just this side of hysterical as she sat in the passenger seat of the car.

'Mom, he's going to be fine. He's... he's got a swollen eye and some bruises on his ribs but...' Hope answered, hoping to reassure her mom. It would do no good to sugar coat her brother's condition considering they would be home in half an hour and Sara would come face to face with Liam, assessing the damage for herself.

Hope had tried to tell the sordid tale honestly, refraining from any unnecessary drama; she knew her mom would be off the charts with worry when she learned the details of what had happened.

Neal sat in the driver's seat, silent, seemingly concentrating on the traffic up ahead. His mind was reeling at the thought of his son and his boyfriend being savagely beaten by a couple of homophobic punks. Neal was a pacifist, had been his whole life, preferring to talk his way out of potentially dangerous situations rather than reverting to fisticuffs. He had that amazing silver tongue which had gotten him out of trouble dozens of times – especially in his previous life as a con man – and he couldn't abide the use of violence in any situation.

'But he's really upset about what happened to Cody and I think he blames himself for not being able to...' Hope continued as Sara interrupted, her voice strident, not listening to a word her daughter was saying anymore.

'What is it with that school? There was that drug bust last month and now...' Sara said angrily as she turned to look at Neal.

'Sara, it's high school' Neal said calmly, hoping to bring the hysteria down a notch. His wife flying off the handle wasn't going to help matters. 'Things have been happening in high school since... well, since before _we_ were kids.'

'What? So, are you saying we shouldn't do anything?' she continued, her voice shrill; his attempt at placating her obviously having failed.

He scoffed in response and returned to his thoughts, sifting through what Hope had just told them and wondering what state they'd find Liam in when they finally got home. Sure, Neal was worried about the bumps and bruises but even more so, he was concerned about his son's state of mind and how this incident would affect his idyllic view of the world. Liam was a sweet, gentle soul and like his dad, he tried to avoid conflict whenever possible. This horrible turn of events would be an awful blow - especially after having struggled for so long before finally coming out to everyone around him.

From the back seat of the car, Hope's hand reached out to touch Sara's shoulder. 'Mom, there are bullies everywhere... it only takes a couple of idiots to make trouble.'

Sara's labored breathing continued to be heard over the car's engine as she hyperventilated, her face turning a dangerous shade of red.

'Honey...' Neal finally said, reaching out to touch her hand in an attempt to keep things from escalating. '...we'll find a way to deal with this, okay? Liam's a smart kid; if we overreact, it'll just make things worse for him.'

His words seemed to have the desired effect and Sara's breathing slowly began to even out as the car carrying the three of them entered the White Plains city limits, on its way to the little house on Meadowbrook Street.

WCWCWC

'What do _you_ think, Uncle Moz?' Liam asked as he sat next to his godfather on the couch in the family room.

Peter had enlisted Mozzie's help while he drove into Manhattan to check on things at the Raphael Gallery; Friday was a big day at the store and he wanted to make sure they were properly staffed for the day, what with Hope being needed elsewhere. Peter hoped that Mozzie could talk some sense into Liam and convince him to turn in the three thugs who had attacked him and Cody.

Mozzie sat, cup of coffee in hand, studying the young man's face. He'd never been very good at facing up to things in his life – thought of himself as rather cowardly at times – and he admired the way Sara and Neal were raising their kids to take responsibility for their mistakes, teaching them to do the right thing.

'Uncle Peter says I should speak up but... what if they come after us again? Cody... he could have been killed if Josie hadn't walked by when she did.' Liam's mind seemed to be all over the place and his gaze turned serious once more as he glanced over at his uncle Mozzie. 'Do you think we could go over to the hospital and check on him?'

'Hey, slow down buddy. One thing at a time' Mozzie said wisely. 'Your folks will be here any minute and we'll see when they get here, okay? Here, have some juice' he added, handing Liam the glass that sat on the nearby table. 'The last thing you need is your blood sugar going all wonky... your mom will kill me if I let that happen.'

Liam reluctantly took a sip of juice as he peered into Mozzie's shifty eyes.

'Uncle Moz, what would _you_ do if you were me?' Liam asked.

Mozzie took a minute before answering. 'Kid, I don't think you want to know what _I'd_ do' he finally confessed. 'I don't always do what's right... but I admire the fact that _you_ try to and I think the question you have to ask is 'can you live with yourself if you _don't_ tell the truth and these guys walk free?' What does it say about your relationship with Cody if you don't take a stand? That they're right? That your feelings for Cody are... wrong?'

'No' Liam answered spontaneously. It had taken him a long time to come out to the world and the feelings he had for Cody were nothing to be ashamed of, how _could_ they be when they were so innocent and pure.

They were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, followed by Sara's anxious voice, wafting through the house.

'Liam?' she called out as the teen stood from the couch to go greet his parents.

He braced himself for an onslaught of motherly smothering. 'Here, Mom!'

The newly arrived trio followed the sound of his voice, Sara a few steps ahead of Hope and Neal.

'Oh, honey!' she exclaimed as she looked into his battered face.

He submitted to her unyielding hug, wincing in pain as she squeezed his bruised body a little too tightly. Neal appeared behind her, his face worried as he threw his arms around the two of them and squeezed again, to Liam's chagrin.

'I'm fine. I'm fine.' he kept repeating, hoping they'd eventually loosen their death grip, which they finally did as Liam began to pull away.

Sara examined his face, touching his bruised cheek gently and making weird mewling sounds that were just plain weird and upsetting.

'Who did this to you?' she asked, her voice choked up. He was still her baby, all six feet of him, and she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him.

Liam could see Hope lurking in the background, shrugging in defeat; they both knew this moment of intense parental over protectiveness was inevitable and they just had to get through it before everyone could finally settle down and return to more rational behavior.

'Mom, I'm fine' Liam kept repeating as Neal studied his eyes to get the real deal.

'How's Cody doing?' he asked, knowing that was probably uppermost in his son's mind.

'Not good, Dad' Liam answered, showing some emotion. 'They really... they really beat him up bad.'

Neal put a comforting arm around his son, rubbing his back and moving everyone over to join Mozzie in the family room. Sara wasn't quite ready to let go of her little boy and she sat down next to him, her arm draped around his shoulders as everyone took a seat. Despite his deep concern for his son's wellbeing, Neal seemed determined to remain calm and rational so they could talk things through without any unnecessary drama; thankfully, now that they'd seen Liam with their own eyes, Sara's state of mind seemed to have been been downgraded from total hysteria to a more manageable level of motherly concern.

'I want to go back to the hospital' Liam said, predictably.

'Just... tell us what's going on, first' Neal said, leaning forward.

'Well, the police questioned the kids who were at the school last night and they want me and Cody to make a statement' Liam said.

'When is all _that_ happening?' Sara asked.

'Today... I think they're coming to Cody's hospital room later but I'm not sure' Liam said, relinquishing control to his parents, relieved now that they were finally home.

'Where's Peter?' Neal asked.

'He went over to the gallery but I can take over from him now that you're home' Hope said as Neal nodded in agreement.

'Did you get any sleep?' he asked with concern as he turned to look at Liam's exhausted face.

Liam shrugged; admittedly, a couple of hours after surviving such a traumatic incident wasn't much rest.

'Look, why don't you go lie down for awhile...' Neal began.

'Dad!' Liam protested as the doorbell was heard.

They exchanged puzzled looks and Neal rose to get the door, surprised to find Caitlin standing there, looking anguished. What now? he thought as she opened her mouth to speak.

'I just heard the news about Liam' she said as she stormed in, not waiting for an invitation.

'How did you...?' Neal asked, wondering how Caitlin had even heard about the incident.

'I have friends who go to White Plains High. _Everybody's_ talking about it' she explained as she flew by him to enter the house.

Everyone looked surprised to see the newly minted member of the Caffrey family suddenly appear, looking like she was ready to go to war.

'Caitlin!' Sara said as she rose to greet her. 'Is anything wrong?'

'I came to see Liam' she said of the young man who seemed to be the centre of attention.

He looked up at her meekly. He didn't know her well at all but seeing her appear in front of his eyes like a crazy banshee somehow warmed his heart; there seemed to be someone else in his corner, even if it _was_ some impulsive, five foot two blond girl who could probably get knocked over with a feather.

'Liam, I have some friends at your school who'd be glad to teach those goons a lesson...' she began as Neal interrupted.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, Wonder Woman! That is _not_ how we're going to deal with this situation' he said emphatically although a small part of him was thrilled to witness the eagerness with which she'd come to Liam's defence.

Hope smiled as she took in the look of sheer combativeness on the young girl's face; maybe she wasn't so bad after all...

'Now, sit...and listen' Neal barked as Sara gave a small smile, impressed by her husband's forcefulness. 'If you're going to be a part of this family, you're going to learn how we _do_ things around here.'

It was as if Neal had knocked her out with a decisive right hook to the jaw; the young girl fell back on the couch in silence as Mozzie looked over his shoulder at her in admiration – she had balls and he could sure use her chutzpah... in _so_ many situations.

'Now, _this_ is how things are going to go down!' Neal announced decisively. The chaotic situation was getting out of hand and the Caffrey patriarch decided it was his job to restore some order before total anarchy invaded their quiet home.

Everyone stopped talking and stared, mouths dropped open.

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

By 2:30 that afternoon, peace and quiet had returned to the Caffrey household. Hope had invited Caitlin to tag along with her to the gallery, Sara and Mozzie had taken Liam to the hospital to visit Cody and Peter and Neal were finally catching up on the events of the last few days as they sat at the Caffreys' kitchen table, beer in hand.

'He's trying to _look_ tough but he's scared, Neal' Peter said.

Neal raised an eyebrow before speaking. 'So am I.'

Peter's hand moved up to squeeze Neal's shoulder in solidarity. 'I get it, believe me. I don't want anything to happen to him either but I get the feeling he'll regret it if he gives these thugs a free pass.'

Neal stared down at the table, letting out a slow, labored breath. Ratting someone out, no matter what the circumstances, instantly put a giant bullseye on your back and even though he believed the attackers deserved to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for what they'd done, he also knew that these kids might walk away with just a slap on the wrist and if they did, Liam and Cody would be looking over their shoulders for a very long time.

'High school is a very small world, Peter. If I encourage Liam to identify these guys and something ends up happening to him...' Neal said. '...This isn't like the perps we used to catch; these kids aren't going to end up being locked away in maximum security for the foreseeable future.'

Peter watched as Neal struggled with the best advice to give his son in this unusual situation. 'Anyway, I'm headed over to the hospital in a little while; Sara and I are going to talk it over with Cody's parents before the police show up' Neal added.

'I know it's not easy' Peter admitted '...and Liam was very lucky; Cody's in really bad shape.'

'Well, he's seen as an LGBT leader at school so...he's an easy target. Did I tell you, he and a friend of his founded the Gay Straight Alliance just last year? I think his positive influence had a lot to do with Liam standing up for himself and finally coming out' Neal admitted before growing quiet once again.

'It's not easy to see our kids feeling so vulnerable' Neal added as Peter listened. 'Sara and I just want Liam and Hope to be happy, no matter what but... being different... well, it just makes life a little harder, you know.'

'The world is changing, Neal...' Peter ventured. '...and Liam can be an important part of that change.'

Neal nodded and smiled; he was proud of Liam in everything he did and this was no different. He and Sara just needed to hear their son out, give him the support he deserved and not mollycoddle him at every turn.

'You never said how things went with your mom' Peter said, changing the subject.

'Wow... that seems like a lifetime ago with everything that's going on' Neal admitted as he thought back to the previous day.

His eyes met Peter's and the older man saw a glimmer of serenity he hadn't seen in his best friend's eyes in a long, long time.

'It wasn't at all what I expected. When we got there... when I first laid eyes on her... well, it hit me right in the face. Not just the anger but the hurt and... the vulnerability. I felt like I was six years old all over again and my instinct was to run away and hide. But I didn't want to give in to it, you know, so...' Neal let his voice trail as he recalled the see-saw of emotions he'd felt over the past twenty four hours.

'Then, this horrible rage came over me and I... I really let her have it. I told her all the horrible things I'd had to go through and how I hated her for not being there for me.'

'How did she react?' Peter asked.

'That's the thing. I expected her to try to rationalize what she'd done... you know, make excuses for her behavior... But she didn't. She... she just let me talk and talk and... the more I talked, the angrier I got and... the angrier I got, the bolder I became...'

Peter leaned in to listen.

'I went pretty far, Peter. Too far. I knew I was hurting her but in that moment, I really didn't care. It was like the floodgates opened and I couldn't hold any of it back. And she just sat there and took it all, every hurtful criticism, every angry reproach... and she never made any excuses.'

'That's because she knows she was wrong' Peter said, his voice intense.

Neal nodded. 'I guess...but it's human nature to want to strike back when someone attacks you and she didn't, she just sat there and let me come at her, over and over and over again...'

'That's what a loving mother does, I guess; put her child's feelings ahead of her own.' Peter remarked.

Peter's comment hit Neal like a ton of bricks and things suddenly became clearer in his mind. For all the selfish behavior his mom had exhibited while he was growing up, in this instance, she'd been selfless, encouraging him to express his anger without holding back. She'd somehow been able to temporarily set aside her own feelings of hurt and shame so that he could begin to heal. Neal became overcome with emotion at the realization; she'd given him a precious gift – release from the shackles of his anger and his resentment, the gift of letting go of all the bitterness that he'd buried deep inside for all those years.

He let out a small whimper and he looked up at Peter with a smile through tears of relief. He shook off the emotion and laughed as Peter observed the look of liberation in his best friend eyes.

'I'm really happy for you, Neal' Peter said with a kind smile. 'Really happy.'

WCWCWC

The gallery was particularly busy on this Friday afternoon and Caitlin watched in wonder as Hope moved seamlessly from one task to the next: tending to customers, wrapping up purchases, finalizing financial transactions and generally making sure everything ran smoothly. Caitlin admired the young woman for her in-depth knowledge of art and her easy-going way of interacting with the gallery's clientele.

By late afternoon, Hope asked Caitlin to help her carry a couple of paintings from the back room up to the second floor for display and the young girl watched in awe as the top floor came into view. The smaller floor plan made for a more intimate setting and the paintings which were displayed looked luminous under the skylight, up against a beautiful background of granite.

'Wow! What's on _this_ floor?' she asked as Hope followed her up the stairs.

'This is just more... art' Hope answered, circumspect.

'This is beautiful!' Caitlin murmured as her eyes went from one framed piece to another. 'Are those two from the same artist?' she asked pointing to two pieces which were side by side.

'Yep' said Hope, smiling at herself.

'Who is it?' the girl asked, drawing nearer to better examine the painting.

'Just some local woman...' Hope answered dismissively as she began the job of putting up one of her dad's latest paintings.

Hope watched with amusement as Caitlin struggled to read the signature on the far right corner of the canvas, pulling away as she finally figured out who the artist was.

' _You_ did this?' she asked, in amazement as Hope laughed out loud.

'This floor is for me and my dad to display some of our own stuff' she finally admitted. 'And sometimes, my aunt Emily sends us one of her pieces to put up for sale. I guess you could say this is the Ellis-Caffrey floor of the gallery.'

Caitlin wandered around the small space in pure admiration; she'd seen some of Neal and Hope's works in progress when she'd visited their studio at home but seeing everything displayed in such a beautiful setting with proper lighting made the pieces look incredible.

'What's this pedestal for?' she asked as her hand lingered on a small pedestal tucked in between two paintings.

'That's awaiting a special sculpture that isn't quite finished yet' Hope answered mysteriously.

'Wow! This place is really amazing!' Caitlin repeated.

'Well, if you play your cards right, I'll bring you in with me more often and I can teach you the ropes' Hope said.

'Really? You'd do that for me?' Caitlin asked. 'After everything I've done?'

'I said ... _if_ you play cards right' Hope repeated as she winked.

She watched as Caitlin continued to admire the artwork; this kid was a royal pain in the ass and Hope couldn't quite figure out why, but she was starting to grow on her.

WCWCWC

Liam sat quietly by Cody's bedside watching him sleep. The young man was hooked up to several machines and an IV drip; lying there helplessly in his hospital bed, he looked so different from the lively, energetic person he normally was. Cody had been the first to pick up on Liam's ambivalence about his sexuality and he'd watched with interest as Liam had been drawn to him over time. Coming out had been relatively easy for Cody but he knew that not everyone had the same carefree experience and part of his role as president of the Gay Straight Alliance was to make sure everyone felt welcome in the club, whether they were gay or straight.

Liam had been struggling with what to do ever since the attack; wondering if it was better to speak up and identify the culprits to the police and school administration or just let it go in the hopes that there wouldn't be any further violence. Everyone at White Plains District High knew that if you made waves, you were branded a 'shit disturber' and that trouble would follow you; the unwritten code of conduct dictated that you just shut up and take your lumps if you didn't want to have a giant target on your back.

Yet, in the short time Liam had been hanging out with Cody, he'd learned the importance of standing up for who he was, regardless of the snickers or off-putting comments some people murmured behind his back. Being a young gay male in America was still a struggle for boys despite the many public education campaigns and countless sensitivity training seminars and being 'different' whether it was in terms of race, religion or sexuality was still painfully difficult for young people as they struggled with finding their place in the world.

Cody's eyes fluttered open and they came to rest on Liam as he sat there, hovering over him with a worried look in his eyes.

'Hey' he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Liam stood in order to get a little closer and he leaned in so he could better hear what Cody had to say.

'You're awake' Liam said, with what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

'Thanks for trying to stop him' Cody murmured, his voice slurred.

Liam's smile melted, thinking back to those horrible minutes when he was being held back by those two goons whose job it had been to keep him from interfering while they telegraphed their message of hate and intolerance to Cody and all he represented.

'I'm sorry' Liam said, softly, his eyes full of tears.

'No, don't be. You couldn't have stopped them' Cody responded with a weak smile.

'The police will be here soon' Liam said, worry in his voice.

'We have to speak out Liam...' Cody began as he started to fade. '...or they'll win...'

Liam watched as Cody's eyes closed once again and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding back.

WCWCWC

Sara and Mozzie watched from just outside Cody's hospital room. The Millers had taken advantage of Liam's visit to take a short break; they'd been by their son's side since the night before without any respite and they were badly in need of stretching their legs and sitting down in front of a nice hot cup of coffee.

'Poor kid' Mozzie said as he peeked into the room. 'He really wants to do the right thing but he's not sure what the right thing is.'

Sara let out a long slow sigh. 'He says if he rats them out, they might retaliate' she said, her voice worried. 'I think he should just leave it alone; nothing is worth getting beaten up for.'

Her gaze had just returned to her son when the sound of her phone ringing in her purse startled her and she looked over at Mozzie, shrugging as she reached in to find it in her oversized bag.

'Hello?' she said, not recognizing the number on the display.

'Sara?' the soft voice came. 'It's Linda.'

'Linda! How are you feeling?' Sara asked, leaving Mozzie's side and moving to a quiet spot down the hallway.

'I'm fine, dear. They're running some more tests but I'm not in any pain. I'll probably leave the hospital by Monday' she said, sounding so very far away and so very fragile.

'Neal's been so upset. He feels responsible for you landing in hospital...' Sara began.

'No, no!' Linda interrupted. 'He mustn't feel that way. I haven't been well for awhile now. _Please_ , please don't let him feel badly for me.'

Sara listened as her eyes filled with tears. For all the hurt this woman had caused Neal in the past, she was doing all she could to make up for her shortcomings; the question was, was it too little, too late?

'I have so much to thank you for, Sara. For bringing Neal back to me so I could see him one last time...' Linda said as she gave out a choked laugh. 'It wasn't what I'd call a loving reunion but I hope it gave him the chance to... to let go of some of his anger towards me.'

'It did' Sara answered straight away. 'It did him a lot of good to tell you what he'd been carrying around inside all this time but... Linda, Neal is a very caring man and... no matter what you might think, he _does_ care about you.'

'I don't expect anything from him, Sara. I just want him to be able to let go of that hurt, that's all... I want him to be happy' Linda responded selflessly.

Sara could feel her mother-in-law teetering on the edge of tears.

'Look, the main reason I called was to thank you for the flowers. That was very thoughtful of you... and they're beautiful.' Now, Linda wasn't managing to keep her emotions in check quite so readily. 'I don't think anyone has ever sent me flowers before... in my whole life.'

Sara listened, puzzled at first; she hadn't sent any flowers... She flashed back to the night before when she'd found Neal sitting up in bed with the laptop open; credit card in his hand... If she told Linda that sending the flowers had been Neal's doing, the woman might read too much into it and she didn't want to cause her any more heartbreak than she'd already had.

'You're welcome' she answered simply.

'Thanks again for everything, Sara' the woman said, hesitating for a moment before continuing. 'I couldn't have asked for a better daughter-in-law.'

'You just take care of yourself, Linda' Sara responded as she swallowed hard.

Sara hung up, cradling the phone in her hand for a moment and wondering if that was the last time she'd ever hear Linda Bennett's voice.

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

It was almost 4:00 by the time Neal entered White Plains Hospital to meet up with Sara and Liam and he was still struggling with the best course of action to take. As a parent, he was ultimately responsible for his son's safety but he wanted to give Liam a wide berth in expressing his point of view on the matter. He and Cody had been victimized and in order to restore some semblance of order to his world, Liam needed to feel empowered to make his own decisions.

As far as Neal could see, it was a lose-lose situation; if he and Sara pressed charges, there would likely be some sort of retribution from these boys or their friends and if they didn't, Neal feared Liam might become disheartened and feel he'd done something to be ashamed of by going public with his feelings for Cody.

Neal spotted Sara sitting alone at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria and he made his way over, noticing how straight and stiff her back looked as she sat there in front of her cup of coffee – her usual demeanor when she was stressed out or upset about something.

'Hey' he said as he came into view, bending down to place a kiss on her head.

She forced a smile back and watched as he took a seat across from her.

'How's he doing?' Neal asked.

'Not bad; he's still sitting with Cody' she said 'But he'll be down in a few minutes. What did Miranda say?' she asked, her customary attempt at micromanaging every thing in their lives.

'No problem. She'll see us at 3:00 tomorrow right after the training session' Neal answered.

As expected, Sara launched right into the topic at hand; her mission was to protect her baby boy at all costs and Neal had already surmised what her position would be on the matter. As impulsive as he was, he still managed to keep a balanced view of things as far as their children were concerned but Sara had always been quick to react and if one of the kids was threatened, the protective side of her was quick to respond.

'Neal, we _can't_ press charges against these kids...you know what'll happen to Liam if we do' she said, her breathing ragged.

'Sara, slow down' Neal responded, taking her hand. 'We have to hear Liam out on this before we decide to do anything. He's the one who'll have to live with the consequences of our decision.'

Sara became agitated; she hated it when Neal used that calm, rational voice of his when she was feeling emotional about something. It made her feel like some stereotypical, hysterical woman when all she was doing was trying to protect their son from harm.

Her voice grew louder in response to Neal's words. 'What? So you're telling me you're okay with us putting him at risk by going to the police? At _best_ , those boys will get a one week's suspension from school and they'll be back on the warpath, gunning for Liam and Cody.'

Neal looked around nervously. Her loud, shrill voice was attracting attention; anybody walking by could see they were having some sort of a disagreement. He was feeling just as anxious as she was, he was just a little better at hiding it.

'Honey, I'm _not_ the enemy here' Neal said, his voice a little louder than he'd meant it to be.

He glanced around once again and took a deep breath before continuing. 'If you and I start to fall apart over this, what do you think that'll do to Liam?' he said his voice barely controlled. 'The last thing he needs is to see us fighting when he's going through all this.'

Sara took a deep, slow breath and Neal could see his words were having the desired effect as she began to calm down. He'd made a good point and he watched as her eyes stared down at her hands, tears forming in her eyes.

'Baby, I'm worried about him too' Neal admitted, reaching out for her again. 'But he's probably feeling powerless over this so let's give him back some of that control and hear him out, see what he has to say.'

Sara nodded in agreement; she knew he was right.

'Alright, I promise I'll... try to keep it together' she said as she looked up and spotted Liam coming their way.

She was instantly on her feet to meet him, guiding him over to where Neal sat, waiting. Liam looked totally done in, probably functioning on a couple of hours sleep to say nothing of his injuries and his concern for Cody, who was in far worse shape than he was.

'Hey buddy' Neal said, standing as they got nearer. He opened his arms to hug him and felt Liam melt in his arms. Although he was just as tall as his dad, he was still a 13 year old kid who was coming face to face with the ugliness in the world for the first time in his young life.

They settled in and Neal gave Sara 'the look'; the one that said, 'let him talk'.

'How's Cody doing?' he asked, leaning in.

Liam shrugged. 'He opened his eyes a few times but they're keeping him sedated so...'

'Are his parents still with him?' Sara asked.

'Yeah. The police are going to meet with them first and then we have to go up to that little conference room on the third floor in about twenty minutes' he answered.

His face melted and suddenly, he seemed to morph into a vulnerable, scared little boy as he looked from his dad to his mom.

'I don't know what I should do' he blurted out.

'Well, start by telling us how you're feeling' Neal said, wanting to give him every opportunity to talk things out.

'These guys... everybody knows them at school. They're bullies. Remember that fat girl in my math class?' he began as Sara gave him the evil eye.

'...that overweight girl, Samantha?' he continued 'Well, they were the ones who bullied her and threw her up against the lockers last year. And they also scared the shit out of this guy in Will's biology class; they ambushed him and he ended up changing schools.'

'So these guys have done this kind of thing before?' Sara asked, her worry increasing.

'They're just idiots, Mom. Everybody knows it. But they're big, strong idiots' he responded.

'Have they ever been suspended from school?' Neal asked.

Liam let out a sardonic laugh. 'Yeah, like three times.'

'Well, then maybe the school will be harder on them this time' Neal said. 'I spoke to the principal earlier and he wants to meet with us on Monday.'

Liam was glad to have his parents by his side to help him navigate the maze of consequences from the attack... talking to the police, meeting with the school authorities; it was all overwhelming and he would hate to have to face it all alone.

'Cody asked his parents to press charges. He wants us to stand up to them' Liam said, his voice quiet.

'And what do you want, honey?' Sara asked.

'I want this never to have happened' he said in an uncharacteristic show of frustration. 'What harm does it do to anyone else that I care about Cody... it's nobody's business. We're not hurting anyone.' His voice was barely controlled and Neal glanced over at Sara, watching as her heart broke over their son's anguish.

'Of course, you're not' she said as she put an arm around him.

'It's just taken me so long to figure out what I wanted... I don't understand why people would hate you just because you're... different from them' he said, wiping his eyes.

'People are strange that way, buddy' Neal said, his arm around his son. 'They're afraid of anything or anyone that's different from them and that fear comes out in strange ways like hate... and violence. But you're doing a lot to educate people now that you're involved with the Gay Straight Alliance...' he added, glancing at Sara. 'You know, Mom and I are really proud of you for standing up for yourself' Neal added as Sara looked on.

'I just want to take a stand' Liam said. 'If I don't, it's like letting them win and telling everybody that what we're doing is wrong.'

Sara's eyes locked onto her husband's and in that moment, they realized that the choice was simple – if they didn't respect their son's wishes, they would all but be sending him the same message: that what he and Cody had together was somehow shameful and ugly and not worth fighting for.

'Then, that's what we'll do' she said, her voice strong. 'We'll stand up to those bullies and press charges with the police.'

Liam nodded, looking relieved. He had no idea what the consequences of that decision might be but one thing he did know was that, come Monday morning, he'd be able to walk into school with his head up high.

WCWCWC

By the time they made it home, the whole extended family had gathered including the Burkes, Mozzie and Caitlin. Elizabeth had pulled together a meal for the large gathering and everyone congregated to the dining room to feast on her amazing sloppy joes and homemade fries.

Liam was looking more relaxed as he sat between his godfather and his sister; he was feeling vindicated now that his parents had made the decision to press charges.

He'd had the chance to sit with Cody while their parents had retreated to the nearby meeting room to talk things out and he was feeling reassured that his boyfriend would eventually pull through. Cody had been more alert by then and had given Liam a bright smile at the news that their parents had agreed to support their position. Whatever problems lay ahead, they were in it together and they weren't about to let three goons stand in the way of all the progress they'd made in promoting gay rights at White Plains District High.

The dinner had an air of celebration, a vindication for Liam as everyone pulled together to support him and he was obviously drawing strength from having his family and friends around him.

It was close to midnight by the time Neal and Sara headed up to bed, bidding Liam, Caitlin, Hope and Cam goodnight as the foursome lay around the family room watching a movie.

It had been a very intense day, the second in a row for the couple who'd had their emotions pulled in all directions. They prepared for bed, Sara pulling back the blankets on the bed as Neal changed into a pair of sleep pants.

'Your mom called this afternoon' she said matter of factly.

'Oh yeah?' Neal answered, figuring he'd been found out.

'So, flowers huh?' she said with a wry smile as Neal shrugged.

'I figured she might need some cheering up.'

'She assumed _I'd_ sent them' Sara said as she slid under the sheets.

Neal joined her, settling in. 'Did you set her straight?'

'I thought she might read too much into it if she knew they'd come from you' she answered

'How was she?' he asked, his concern for his mom peeking through his cool veneer.

'She sounded good' Sara said, curling up into Neal's arms. 'I think she's made peace with the fact that she doesn't have much time left.'

The room grew quiet for a moment and Sara could feel Neal's arms tensing around her. Whatever resentment he'd felt towards his mom seemed to have vanished over the last twenty four hours and he'd begun to show concern for her wellbeing.

After a while, Sara's mind wandered back to Liam.

'Do you think we did the right thing?' she asked as they curled up against each other.

'I think we did the _only_ thing' Neal responded, drawing her near. 'Liam needs to know that we're behind him, one hundred percent.'

'You're right' she said, her voice shaky.

He pulled out of her grasp to have a look in her eyes, seeing the fear there and kissing her forehead in encouragement.

'Liam's a smart kid, Sara. He'll be more careful about putting himself in that kind of vulnerable situation again' he said, hoping against hope what he was saying was true.

Sara nodded although she knew that Liam couldn't be on his guard 24/7; he would always be at risk from the haters in the world as Hope had called them.

'Thanks for letting Caitlin stay over' Neal said with a smile.

'Well, in a few days, she'll be sleeping over _every_ night' Sara answered.

'Did you see the look on her face when you suggested she spend the night?' Neal asked with a grin. 'It was like she'd won the lottery.'

'You know, I think being around kids her own age is good for her... help her put some of her problems in perspective.' Sara observed.

Neal chuckled. 'Well, don't let those innocent blue eyes fool you... we're going to have our hands full.'

'This whole thing seems to have brought Hope even closer to her brother' Sara commented. 'She wouldn't let him out of her sight, did you notice?'

Neal nodded. 'We're lucky, Sara. We have a couple of amazing kids' Neal said.

'...and now we have Caitlin' she added, laughing.

'And now we have Caitlin' Neal agreed as he shook his head.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

What _should_ have been a nice, quiet weekend for Sara Ellis and Neal Caffrey turned out to be anything but. They had committed to attending a weekend training seminar with Social Services, one of the last few hoops they needed to jump through before officially becoming Caitlin's foster parents. To top it all off, Miranda Cross had agreed to squeeze in one last home visit after their session on Saturday afternoon.

'Are you _sure_ you don't mind putting it off?' Sara asked as she sat across from her now 14-year-old son on Saturday morning.

'I'm used to it' Liam responded with a long suffering sigh. His birthday celebration had been postponed the previous year because his dad had been in hospital recovering from a gunshot wound; it seemed he wasn't having much luck in the 'birthday celebration' department.

'Seriously...' he added 'I want to wait until Cody can be there.'

'Alright' Sara reluctantly agreed. 'But, we'll have to make it _extra_ special and we can order in whatever you want for dinner tonight.'

'Make what extra special?' Hope asked as she appeared in the kitchen, hands hidden behind her back.

'Liam's birthday. He wants to wait until Cody can be there before we go out and celebrate' Sara explained.

'Birthday? Oh my God, is it your birthday, squirt?' Hope asked as she made her way to where her brother sat, rolling his eyes at his sister's feeble attempt at teasing him.

She deposited a card and gift on the table in front of him with a flourish and a satisfied smirk.

'Happy birthday!' she announced as she leaned in to place a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

'Ugh! Really, Hope?' Liam yelled as he playfully pulled away.

Neal appeared, looking dapper in dress pants and a shirt and tie, apparently amused by the familiar banter between his son and daughter.

'Ready to go?' he asked his wife as she stood and gave their son a kiss.

'Happy birthday, honey!' she said as Neal winked and smiled proudly at his son.

'Hope, can you make sure the house is presentable for when Miranda gets here this afternoon?' Sara asked as Neal hearded her out the door.

The last thing Sara wanted was for Miranda Cross to walk in on the zoo the Caffrey household sometimes morphed into on weekends; this was their last chance to make a good impression and Sara wasn't having her reputation sullied by inviting the social worker into a messy house – she had her standards after all.

WCWCWC

By the time the decisive knock came at the front door of the Caffrey home at 3:00 sharp, things on Meadowbrook Street were totally out of control.

'Hi!' said Hope sheepishly as Miranda Cross stood on their doorstep, waiting expectantly.

Raffie barked at her feet, Hope trying to hold him back; he was anxious to get a sniff of the newcomer to their home. He snorted and drooled as Hope tried in vain to keep him from jumping up on the social worker who was decked out in what looked like a very expensive business suit. Loud whooping and hollering could be heard from the back of the house as Hope reluctantly invited the woman in.

'My parents aren't back yet. They shouldn't be long; come on in' she said as she stood aside and gestured for the woman to take a seat in the living room, the only room in the house that looked half-way presentable.

The woman shrugged and followed Hope to the back of the house where the kitchen and family room were. 'If you don't mind, I'll come with you' she said. 'Sounds like someone's having fun.'

Hope relented, inviting the woman to follow her in as her eyes went from the stack of dirty dishes on the kitchen counter to the mess Raffie had just made of his latest chew toy and back over to the couch where Liam and Caitlin sat on either side of Mozzie, eyes glued to their video game. Caitlin squealed in glee as Mozzie scored an unexpected goal and glanced up at Hope who towered above them, looking flustered.

'Guys, can you turn that down? We've got company' Hope said as she hurriedly began to tidy up the kitchen - she could have _sworn_ her mom had said 4:00.

'Ms Cross!' Caitlin said with a big smile as she stood to greet the woman.

'Caitlin! Looks like you're right at home' Miranda said, suspiciously eyeing the bald man on the couch - whom she'd never met.

'I slept over here last night; we had a...' she began as Hope cut her off. She was pretty sure that her parents wouldn't want the whole Liam saga thrown out there without having the chance to give proper context to the sordid tale.

'My mom and dad should be here any minute' Hope said hurriedly as Caitlin gave her the evil eye. 'Can I make you a cup of coffee?'

'That would be great. Thanks!' answered the social worker as she jockeyed for space on the cluttered kitchen table so she could set down her briefcase.

'Here, let me make some room for you' Hope muttered; her mom was going to kill her.

'That's okay!' Miranda answered with a smile, seemingly unperturbed. 'You should see _my_ house on a Saturday afternoon; I've got three teenage boys!'

'I don't think we've met' she continued as she walked over to where Mozzie sat, looking like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

He stared, a deer caught in the headlights, remembering Neal's warning about walking a straight line where the social worker was concerned. She looked like 'establishment' and Mozzie didn't do so well with establishment.

'I'm...' he muttered nervously.

'This is Mozzie!' Caitlin announced. 'He's sort of...'

'Ah, yes. Neal mentioned you.' Miranda said, putting out her hand to shake his as the germaphobe recoiled and waved anxiously. 'You're Liam's godfather, right?'

Mozzie nodded and smiled, desperately looking for an escape route.

'Liam, why don't I take you over to the hospital to visit... your friend' he said as Liam stood, wanting nothing better; he'd been bugging his uncle to take him over to visit Cody all afternoon.

'Can I tag along?' Caitlin asked. She'd obviously made herself right at home and Miranda was enjoying the interaction between her and Liam as he shrugged at having to drag his new 'sibling' along.

'Sure. Just don't be a nuisance' he muttered as Miranda smiled; it sounded like Caitlin was fitting right in.

'We're home!' Sara suddenly called out as the front door opened.

'Hi... everybody' Neal said as he spied the houseful of people, Raffie almost bowling him over as he eagerly reunited with his master. 'What's going on?'

Sara gave Hope a dirty look as she took in the scene; not at all what she'd hoped to find when they finally made it home.

Hope shrugged as she saw the daggers in her mom's eyes. 'I thought you said _4:00_ ' she murmured.

Sara looked over to where Miranda stood, taking it all in with an amused look on her face.

'It's fine, really' she said with a smile. 'I like to see families in their... natural habitat.'

Within moments, Liam, Mozzie and Caitlin had made a quick exit, heading over to the hospital and Hope had begun to busy herself with the tidying up as Neal and Sara invited Miranda out to the living room.

'I'll just... get you that coffee and bring it out to the living room' Hope said, hoping to make amends as she noticed her mom begin to relax.

'So, how was the training session?' Miranda asked, hoping the couple had found it relevant.

'Good, we learned a lot' Neal said. 'I think we're ready' he said, taking Sara's hand.

'I do too' answered Miranda as she took out the paperwork and proceeded with her last interview.

The Caffreys were a wonderful family, she could see that and she hoped that Caitlin wouldn't blow her one last chance at a happy family life. The kid had a good heart and if anyone could keep her from going off the deep end, the 'chicken sexer' in her believed _this_ was the family who could do it.

By the time she left White Plains an hour later, all that was left was for Neal and Sara to attend the second day of training and in a mere twenty four hours, Caitlin would have a new home and a new set of foster parents.

WCWCWC

Liam spent most of Sunday afternoon at the hospital by Cody's side as the young man slowly started to regain his strength. Hope stuck around close to home while Cam worked at the gallery and she did the driving back and forth to White Plains Hospital, keeping her brother company, along with Caitlin who was now a permanent fixture.

When Neal and Sara made it back home, the Caffrey family sat down to their first official dinner with their foster daughter and they watched in satisfaction as her face glowed; even Raffie seemed to have accepted her into the family as he lay at her feet under the kitchen table, whining for scraps.

'Why don't you two go to a movie tonight?' Neal asked Caitlin and Liam as dinner wrapped up.

The two of them seemed to be getting along despite their obvious difference in temperament – Caitlin, so outgoing and Liam, quiet and reserved. Liam shrugged, unsure. He couldn't get Cody out of his mind and the next day, he and his parents had to meet with the school principal to discuss the fallout from the attack – something he hadn't been looking forward too.

'Come on! It'll take your mind off things. I'll drive you over' Neal insisted as he watched Liam wavering. 'The new Fast and Furious is out' he added, hoping to convince his son.

'Alright' Liam finally agreed as Caitlin grinned widely.

They were dropped off at the front door of the local cineplex with Neal reminding them to call when they were ready to come home. Liam watched, perplexed, as Caitlin crept away from the main door, slinking around towards the back of the building.

'What are you _doing_?' he asked as she grabbed his arm to pull him along.

'Come on. We're going to sneak in through the exit' she whispered as she tugged at him insistently.

'No, we're not!' Liam said adamantly.

'We can use the money your dad gave us to get something to eat instead' she said as she skulked away, pocketing the money Neal had given her for the admission fee.

Liam produced another twenty dollar bill from his pocket. 'Dad _gave_ us money to get something to eat' he told her as she proceeded to hide in a nearby bush. 'You don't _have_ to sneak in.'

She gave him a dirty look. 'I've never paid to see a movie in my life and I'm not about to start now' she whispered as she kept her eyes riveted on the exit door, waiting for it to open so she could make her move.

'Whatever...' Liam grumbled, heading back towards the main door. 'I'll see you inside.'

There was no doubt about it; she was going to be a royal pain in the ass!

WCWCWC

First thing Monday morning, Neal and Sara headed out to White Plains District High with Liam to meet with the school principal. They were joined by Mindy and Mike Miller, speaking on behalf of their son who would be recuperating in hospital for another few days. Besides the criminal charges which had been laid against the three young offenders, there were further consequences at school and the victims were due an explanation as to what those consequences were as well as reassurances that they would be safe within the school's walls.

They spotted a young man coming out of the office with his parents and Liam whispered to his dad. 'He's one of them.'

The apple didn't seem to fall far from the tree in this case as the boy's father stopped right in front of where Liam sat, staring down and giving him a defiant look. Confrontation was not Neal's style but watching this man standing in judgement of Liam was simply too much to ignore. He stood to face the man, noticing Mike Miller following suit, and he smiled one of his most disarming Caffrey smiles at the surprised man.

'Hi! I'm Neal Caffrey' he said. 'Do you have some sort of problem with my son?' to which the man just slunk away, shaking his head.

Figures, Neal thought, bullies are usually cowards too. Liam, Sara and Mindy exchanged amused glances at the sight of Neal doing his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression as everyone returned to the tedious task of waiting to meet with the principal.

By the time their turn had come, the fate of the three boys had been sealed. Two of them were on their third offence and had been barred from returning to school permanently while the third one – who'd been the 'hanger on'– was suspended until the end of the school year which was a mere month away – not much of a victory but still...

In light of the circumstances, it was still sweet vindication and Sara and Neal watched as Liam stepped out of the principal's office with his head up high.

By then, it was practically lunchtime and Neal and Sara walked with their son towards the student council offices where the Gay Straight Alliance was preparing to hold an emergency meeting in light of what had happened. They could see students lined up all the way down the hallway towards the atrium and when Liam came into view, the group erupted into applause as he stood there, uncertain of what was happening. He spotted Will Allenby and walked up to meet his best friend halfway.

'What's going on?' Liam asked as Neal and Sara dropped back to give the kids some space.

'All these kids want to join the Gay Straight Alliance' Will answered, looking uncertain as to what to to do next.

'Well...' Liam said as his parents watched nearby. '...I guess we're going to need a bigger room, then.'

TBC


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

Neal sat, perched on the edge of Peter's desk at the Raphael Gallery, taking advantage of a short lull after the noontime rush to fill his best friend in on the latest happenings. Things were moving fast on so many fronts...

'There had to be at least 60 people lined up to join the club' Neal was saying, his voice animated. 'It was amazing to see everybody pulling together to rally against what happened on Thursday night.'

'That's great!' Peter agreed as he rocked back and forth in his office chair. 'How's Liam coping with everything?'

'I think now that charges have been laid and the thugs have been kicked out of school, he's feeling more relaxed... for now, anyway' Neal said, with a bittersweet smile.

He knew all too well that this was just the beginning; as a gay teen, Liam would likely encounter more discrimination and judgement in the future but this incident, as unfortunate as it was, had given him the confidence to face things head-on.

'So when do you move Caitlin in?' Peter asked.

'Tonight, after dinner. We're going to go over to the group home and collect her things, not much to collect though.' Neal said, his voice quiet. 'Peter, she doesn't even have a bed to her name... nobody should have to live like that...'

Peter nodded, taking in Neal's empathetic words. His ex-CI was a sensitive human being who hated to see anyone suffering and in this case, it was obvious he could see a lot of his younger self in his new foster daughter.

'So, have you decided where you're going to put her?' Peter asked.

Neal let out a sardonic laugh. 'Would you believe Hope offered up her room and volunteered to go stay at Cam's for the summer.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, like _that's_ gonna happen!' Neal continued. 'There's no way we're not having a room for Hope in our house...ever!'

Peter waited for Neal to continue. Their three bedroom house had been fine for two kids but he remembered all the planning they'd done a few years back when Sara had unexpectedly gotten pregnant and they thought they'd be welcoming a third child to their family. There'd been talk of renovating the attic or moving the studio out of the house to make room for the new baby.

'Do you think you could give Liam and me a hand next weekend? We're gonna move the studio out until we get everything sorted out' Neal asked.

'Sure... where are you moving it to?' Peter asked.

'We'll set up at the art school for the summer months... just while we renovate' Neal answered.

'Renovate?'

'Yeah, we're gonna add a third room in the attic but in the meantime, we're going to set up a bedroom down where the studio is. Hope says she doesn't mind moving down there for the summer so we can keep a better eye on Caitlin. I don't want her isolated down there doing... God only knows what' Neal said, hinting at something, although Peter wasn't quite sure what.

'Would you believe she snuck into a movie last night... after I'd given her money to pay her way?' Neal added in exasperation.

'Poor kid probably feels like she has to hoard any money she can get her hands on' Peter remarked as Neal nodded.

'Yeah, well she's going to have to learn that's _not_ how we do things' Neal said as Peter giggled.

'What?' Neal asked, puzzled at his best friend's reaction.

'Do you hear yourself, Neal? I'm sure sneaking into a movie theatre is pretty insignificant stuff compared to some of the places you've snuck into over the years' Peter said, unable to keep quiet.

Neal gave his head a shake and his eyes a roll; after all these years, Peter still couldn't help himself sometimes.

'Well, we're gonna have a serious talk tonight about dos and don'ts; I've already got Mozzie to contend with, I sure as hell don't need someone else trying to corrupt Liam' Neal explained. 'Would you believe Mozzie was sneaking around, training him on the fine art of pick pocketing last weekend...'

'Oh, with the training jacket? Cute.' Peter said, fondly remembering the time Mozzie and June had instructed him on the finite technique of using his fingers to lift - and not his thumb. Neal shook his head once more.

The men were interrupted by someone entering the gallery, a regular customer who waved to the men and proceeded to have a look around. Neal stood to greet him; they'd have to finish catching up later.

WCWCWC

Neal made his way back to the Bronx by 3:30 for his afternoon class at the June Ellington School of Art. Although he had plenty of teachers on staff now, he still held on to that one class – he loved getting to know the kids and having the chance to interact with them on a one on one basis. Now that Caitlin was his foster daughter, he'd have to be careful about favoritism but he had no qualms about his decision to include her recent sculpture on the second floor of the Raphael, where the 'Caffrey' art was displayed.

'So, you never did tell me who this is' he said as he walked over to where Caitlin sat, putting the finishing touches on her sculpture.

He saw a glimpse of something unexpected in her eyes, a longing for something lost.

'He's my half-brother' she answered without hesitation.

Neal stared at her in surprise; he'd had no idea Caitlin had any siblings

'Your half-brother?' he repeated as he took in the new information.

'Yeah, my mom had a baby with another man before she met my dad' Caitlin said sadly. 'He lives somewhere in Oregon...with his father.'

Neal watched her sad face as she lovingly traced the outline of the sculpture, her touch light and caring.

'We were close for awhile and he writes sometimes but he's 19 and... well, we've been apart for a long time now.'

Neal placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. 'I'm sorry, Caitlin. I didn't know.'

She shrugged and pasted on a smile, a gesture that made Neal cringe as he remembered all those times he'd done the very same thing: hiding hurt or sadness behind a phony smile.

'Look, I was wondering if you might like to display your sculpture at the gallery' Neal said, softly.

'Really?' Caitlin answered, her smile turning more genuine now.

'Yeah, up on the second floor...where Hope and I display _our_ stuff' he said.

Her face scrunched up for a moment as she tried to understand what Neal had just said. 'But that's... that's for 'Caffrey' art' she said remembering Hope's explanation.

Neal shrugged in response, saying nothing yet saying it all. Caitlin's eyes widened and she swiped nervously as a wayward tear threatened to fall.

'Yeah... yeah!' she answered.

WCWCWC

It took all of _one_ car trip to bring all of Caitlin Somersby's worldly possessions to Westchester County.

The teen wore a bright smile all the way back from the group home she was more than happy to leave behind. Sara sat in the front seat next to Neal while Caitlin prattled on about moving to White Plains District High and joining the art club there. Her unbridled enthusiasm seemed infectious as Neal and Sara glanced knowingly at one another, Caitlin's voice droning on and on.

Until the weekend, she would have to sleep on the hide-a-bed and Neal and Sara proceeded to carry in the few bags she had into the family room, anxious to have _the_ talk about those all-important ground rules in the Caffrey home. Raffie roamed excitedly, sniffing madly at the bags as they were placed nearby, anxious to get to know the newcomer to the family.

'...and I don't want the hide-a-bed open all day long' Sara warned in her no-nonsense way as she finished making the bed. 'As soon as you get up in the morning, you make the bed and close it up.'

'Yes, ma'am' Caitlin responded as Sara pouted.

Neal looked over at Sara with a devilish grin and waited for her inevitable reaction to the designation he knew all too well she absolutely despised.

'And whatever you do, don't _ever_ call me ma'am' Sara said predictably as Neal chuckled to himself nearby.

'Well... what am I _supposed_ to call you?' Caitlin asked, a question that had been running through her mind ever since she'd found out about their new living arrangement.

Sara looked over at Neal; they hadn't really discussed it. 'Mr. and Mrs. Caffrey' sounded awfully formal for the type of relationship they would have yet Neal was well aware of the importance of keeping _some_ distance between himself and the teen in light of what had happened between them.

'I... don't mind you calling me Sara' Sara finally said. 'As long as you use a respectful tone of voice when you talk to me.'

Caitlin looked over at Neal who was trying to avoid the topic. 'What about you... Mr. C?' the teenager asked, jokingly.

Neal shrugged, unsure. 'Well, why don't we start with _that_ and see where we go from there' he answered.

'Okay' Caitlin readily agreed. She was just so thrilled to be there, in their midst; she would have agreed to calling him 'Your Royal Highness' if that's what he wanted.

'Now, sit!' Neal said, all business as Raffie went down on his haunches and everyone, except Neal, giggled.

'We have to talk about the ground rules around here' he continued, his tone serious.

Caitlin's smile dimmed a little as she sat on the armchair across from the couch where Neal and Sara had taken place.

'First off, there'll be none of the crap like what you pulled last night' Neal began as Caitlin watched wide-eyed. She'd had no idea Liam had ratted her out to his dad and she was disappointed; she thought she'd found an ally in the young man.

'The four of us... we've got each other's backs and we'll have _your_ back... always' Neal explained. 'But we do _not_ lie for each other or cover for each other when one of us is doing something stupid that could get us into trouble. Is that understood?' he said sternly.

Caitlin nodded, her smile now faded.

'Caitlin, we are going to treat you the same way we've always treated Hope and Liam' Sara explained. 'We'll show you the respect you deserve... and we'll give you _some_ privacy but you're going to have to prove yourself if you want us to give you the kind of latitude we give Hope and Liam.'

Caitlin listened, silently taking everything in.

'You'll get an allowance every week, twenty five bucks, same as Liam' Neal continued. 'You can do whatever you want with it... as long as it's nothing illegal. If you need anything for school, you just ask.'

'There will be no drugs or alcohol in this house and if you break any of the house rules, there _will_ be consequences' Sara added.

'Curfew is 10:00 on weeknights and midnight on weekends...' she continued.

'...and we need to know where you are, every minute of every day' Neal added, finishing Sara's sentence.

Caitlin rolled her eyes; there were just as many rules here as in the group home she'd just left.

Neal sat on the edge of the couch, leaning towards Caitlin as Sara put a hand on his back in a show of solidarity. 'But you will be a member of this family and we will be there for you, no matter what' he said, his voice soft and reassuring.

Caitlin's smile returned as she looked over at her foster parents.

'I promise to do my best' she said, with a shy smile.

'That's all we can ever ask, sweetie' Sara said as she rose to hug the girl.

Neal watched the heartwarming scene with a smile on his face and silently hoped the good times would eventually outweigh the many bumps in the road he knew were ahead.

WCWCWC

'Was she pissed off?' Liam asked as he looked up from the small desk in his bedroom where he was madly studying for finals.

'Naw. She was fine' Neal answered as he sat on the edge of Liam's bed.

He glanced over at the painting he'd given his son for his birthday, tucked away against the wall in his room.

'Have you decided where you want to hang it?' he asked.

'I think over there' Liam said pointing to the far wall. 'So I can look at it when I'm lying in bed.'

Neal nodded in agreement.

'So, you feeling okay?' he asked, noting that Liam was pretty well back to his usual laid-back self.

Liam shrugged; it had been a hectic few days to say nothing of his injuries, which seemed to be the least of his concerns.

'Yeah, I'm good. I'll feel a lot better when Cody gets out of the hospital' he answered.

'And when's that happening?' Neal asked.

'I think tomorrow; he'll probably be back at school next week. Dad, do you think we could do my birthday dinner next Saturday? I think he'll be better by then' Liam asked.

'Of course, buddy' Neal said, rising and putting a hand on his son's back as Liam smiled back.

'You know, Mom and I are so proud of you. You've carried yourself with a lot of courage and dignity since this whole mess started' Neal said, pride evident in his voice.

'I just did what anybody would do...' Liam said, self deprecatingly.

'No, you didn't... you were very, very brave' Neal said, a lump in his throat as he leaned in to hug his son. 'I love you Liam.'

WCWCWC

Neal lay in bed, phone up against his ear. His mom had been released from the hospital earlier in the day and he'd been working up the courage to call and talk to her. The phone rang for the third time and he was about to lose his nerve and hang up when he heard her small voice at the other end.

'Mom?' he said, his voice quiet

'Neal?' she answered questioningly - although no one else on the planet could rightfully refer to her that way.

'I heard you were released from hospital today. How are you feeling?' he asked, trying to sound matter of fact.

'I'm good, thanks. All clear' she lied.

Neal swallowed hard suspecting she wasn't telling him everything.

'You know, I was wondering if you'd be up for a little visit in a couple of weeks' Neal began nervously. 'School will be out soon and... we could take the kids out to meet you.'

He waited, not breathing, just waiting. He thought he heard a gasp on the other end and then, suddenly, she was back, sounding strong.

'That would be... wonderful. I would really love that' she answered, trying to keep her voice from wavering.

'Alright, that's great. Look, Sara or I will be in touch with the details. You just... take care of yourself in the meantime, okay?' he said, fighting tears.

'I will. You too. Thank you son, thank you' she said before hanging up.

Sara listened from the door to their bedroom, tears running down her face as she heard a soft whimper coming from their bed.

Neal was on his way to being whole again.

TBC


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

Early June came and went as everyone looked forward to the end of the school year. Caitlin was excited about moving to White Plains District High in the fall, close to her new home and she was looking forward to making new friends and enjoying life in the suburbs. She was towing the line at home although she needed constant reminding of curfews and house rules but Sara and Neal were cutting her some slack; she'd never had to take on much in the way of responsibilities and being part of a family was new to her.

Hope's bedroom was temporarily relocated to the basement and, on the Saturday before the end of school, Neal took a very excited Caitlin out shopping for her very first new bed since the age of five. He watched with delight as she chose a white dresser and a matching headboard and as a bonus, Neal took her out for burgers and shakes after their shopping spree in an effort to solidify his fragile bond with the rebellious teen. She settled into Hope's old room right down the hall from her foster parents and proceeded to make the room her own, decorating with some of her art and the few odds and ends she'd had since she was a little girl. She hadn't felt at home anywhere in a very long time and Sara and Neal dared hope that this sense of belonging would be enough motivation to keep her on the straight and narrow.

Cody Miller returned to school and was treated to a hero's welcome as the Gay Straight Alliance worked to redefine itself as the voice of equality for all at White Plains District High. Cody seemed to be thriving on the newfound energy of the group and he proceeded to set up a number of committees to work on various projects for the upcoming school year. Liam watched in awe as his feelings continued to deepen for this extraordinary young man who was fast becoming his mentor.

Hope spent her days between the June Ellington School of Art and the Raphael Gallery, working alongside her dad and Cameron Armstrong as the two lovebirds continued to grow closer.

On the evening of June 14th, Sara and Neal left the kids at home in White Plains and headed out to Manhattan to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. Hope had convinced them that she would keep an eye on things on the home front and she and her brother had pooled their resources to get their parents a suite at the luxurious Peninsula in Manhattan – with a little help from Peter and Elizabeth, Neal suspected. Their previous anniversary had been spent at home as Neal recovered from surgery following a shooting at the gallery and they were looking forward to doing things up in style this time around.

The couple sat in the hotel restaurant looking out at the New York skyline, Neal's eyes moving to gaze at Sara, looking a vision across the table from him.

'You look amazing' he said with deference as he took in the sight of his wife in a beautiful royal blue dress.

'Well, these incredible aquamarine earrings help complete the look. Thank you honey, they're beautiful!' she said with a gentle smile as her hand lingered on her latest anniversary gift.

'Tradition...' Neal said as he gazed fondly at her.

Sara's eyes seemed to wander slightly and Neal's attention moved to the wine list which had been left for them on the table. He reached into his pocket for his reading glasses and put them on the tip of his nose, scrutinizing what was on offer.

'Are you in the mood for a Malbec or a Syrah tonight?' he asked as his eyes lingered on the page.

'You decide…' she murmured, absent mindedly as she began perusing the menu.

He looked up, sensing her unease and removing his glasses, he reached across the table to touch her hand, urging her to bring her eyes up to meet his.

'Hey, look at me' he urged as she let out a long suffering sigh.

'What's the matter?' he added in response to her reaction.

'Nothing, nothing… sorry… it's just with the trip coming up next week and Caitlin on her own tonight…'

'Honey, she's not on her own. Hope and Cameron are there… and she's under strict orders not to leave the house' Neal said, hoping to reassure his wife.

As much as Sara wanted to let it go, she was still on edge following the incident from the previous week; getting a phone call telling them that Caitlin was at the police station following a car accident had been more than a little nerve-racking. Although Neal had managed to keep his cool, he'd been angry as all hell at the teen for her lack of judgement; getting into the back seat of a car with someone who was obviously drunk was not a winning move in anyone's book and Caitlin needed to learn to use her judgement when accepting rides, especially when Neal had been more than willing to go pick her up. She was damn lucky she hadn't suffered any serious injuries when the car had left the road and hit that tree. With every passing day as a foster mom, Sara could feel more gray hairs sprouting out through her red locks; having Caitlin to worry about had only added more stress to her already high strung nature.

'Look, we can pack it in right now and head on home if you want' Neal began with a patient tone. '...or you can decide you're going to let things go and spend a romantic evening with your old man.'

Sara laughed at his reference; no matter his age, she could never imagine Neal referred to as an _old man_.

'So, what's it gonna be, Repo?' he asked with a dazzling smile, his hand lingering on hers.

She smiled back reluctantly, appreciating his valiant effort at getting her to relax.

'You're right... you're right' she said, brightening up and taking Neal's hand in hers. 'This is _our_ night.'

Neal smiled, pleased to have managed to placate her; he'd been looking forward to some alone time with Sara. Now that Caitlin was in the house, he was more careful about those stolen moments of intimacy with his wife and he was feeling slightly self-conscious at having the teen a few feet away from their bedroom.

'So, how are you feeling about next week?' Sara asked, snapping out of her previous state.

'Good' he said, looking unusually relaxed. 'I'm looking forward to my mom finally meeting the kids.'

'She's going to love them!' Sara said fondly as Neal nodded knowingly.

'How did she sound when you talked to her today?' he asked. Sara had been the one to call Linda and make the final arrangements for their upcoming visit.

'A little lethargic, actually' she admitted. 'Now that the cancer has spread to her lungs, I notice she seems to be really struggling with her breathing.'

Neal nodded; he'd noticed the same thing. 'Do you think we should try to fly her out to visit with us later this summer? We can always cancel the cottage...' he said, contemplative.

'Oh, honey, I don't know if she'll be well enough for _that_. Let's see how she looks when we see her next week, okay?' Sara said, noting the sadness appearing in Neal's eyes.

As angry as he'd been when he'd met with his mom back in May, all that rage had dissolved into genuine concern for the woman who was trying so hard to atone for her past sins. He'd been on the phone to her every few days since their return, talking things out, sharing his thoughts and fears and listening to her as she confessed her regrets for her shortcomings. Just as he had, she'd paid her dues and he could no longer bear her ill will for her actions all those years ago; she couldn't change things anymore that he could and ruminating about the past would do neither of them any good.

'You know I don't think I ever really thanked you' Neal said as he gazed into Sara's eyes.

He watched, fine lines appearing on her forehead as she tried to figure out what, in particular, he was being grateful for.

'You knew it would do me good to see her again and you were right' he admitted although being 'right' had never been Sara's motivation for doing what she'd done. She shrugged, grateful that he'd forgiven her for her indiscretion.

'I love you Neal. I just want you to be happy' she stated simply.

'I know that… and I love _you_ ' he answered as he kissed her hand.

Nineteen years of togetherness was nothing to scoff at and Neal thought ahead to the next few years as he imagined year after year of married life with this wonderful woman he loved so much, hoping that every June 14th, they would be sitting across from one another, looking back on the past year and planning ahead to another wonderful year together.

WCWCWC

'So, what does she look like?' Caitlin asked as she sat between Neal and Liam on the plane.

'Didn't Mom show you her picture?' Liam answered as Caitlin shook her head.

'She has a picture on her phone. Mom, can I see your phone for a minute?' he called out across the aisle to Sara who sat next to Hope and Cameron.

Despite the expense of flying everyone out, Neal and Sara had decided to make a family outing out of their visit to St. Louis. Neal's main purpose was to spend some quality time with his mom but there were plenty of touristy things to do there and he was looking forward to taking his family around the city to see the sights. He'd already secured tickets on line to take Cameron and Liam to a Cardinals game and taking a ride to the top of the Gateway Arch was a must for any visitor to the city.

Caitlin continued to fidget in her seat, having never been on a plane before and Neal watched the excitement dancing in her eyes, enjoying the fact that she was discovering new things.

'Oh, she's old' Caitlin commented as she glanced at the photograph on Sara's phone.

'What did you expect? Lady Gaga?' Liam said as he continued to tease her mercilessly.

Caitlin reached over Neal to gently punch Liam in the arm and Neal laughed softly at the exchange, a sure sign that Liam and Caitlin were bonding. As a family, they had their ups and downs but there was plenty of love and laughter – all he could ever want for.

The first order of business, after picking up their rental car and settling into the hotel rooms they'd booked, was to head over to the Amica Retirement Home to catch up with Linda Bennett. Sara insisted that all the kids change into what she deemed were 'appropriate' clothes for the reunion and finally, the motley crew headed out in their rented van to meet with Neal's mom.

WCWCWC

'Ah, Mrs. Bennett, you look very nice. That dress is the perfect color for you!' the nurse said as she adjusted Linda's oxygen.

The elderly woman scoffed; how could you look nice when you had an oxygen cannula hanging from your nose. She wanted to look good for her visitors and she didn't want Neal worrying when he finally laid eyes on her; she'd been downplaying her health problems and the last thing she wanted was to look like she was on death's door. She'd known for several months that her cancer was spreading and her breathing had become an issue since her last hospital visit, requiring the use of oxygen 24/7.

'Are you sure we can't take the oxygen off just while they're visiting?' she asked for the second time.

'I told you Mrs. Bennett, you'll really struggle without it' answered the kind nurse.

'Fine' Linda said reluctantly.

She had her pride and she didn't want to grovel, especially when she knew the nurse was right. She ran her hands down the skirt of her dress, smoothing away any wayward folds and she sat up straight as she continued waiting in the retirement home's garden for her family to arrive.

WCWCWC

'What do I call her?' Caitlin asked as the extended Caffrey family stepped out of the van.

'Why do you always have so many questions?' Liam complained as Sara swooped in, fussing with a wayward strand of hair on Caitlin's blond head.

'Just call her Mrs. Bennett' she instructed as she rolled her eyes at her son.

'Why is _her_ name 'Bennett' and Mr. C's name is Caffrey?' Caitlin asked, not giving up.

Sara glanced at her foster daughter and shook her head. 'I'll explain later... now, I want all of you on your best behavior.'

Neal was only half-listening, his mind already thinking ahead to his reunion with his mom – this time with anticipation instead of dread. She'd said she'd be waiting for them in the retirement home's garden and his eyes were already roaming as he searched her out. He finally spotted her, sitting on a bench, the very same bench where they'd had their showdown weeks before. She looked even more frail than the last time he'd laid eyes on her and Neal immediately spotted the oxygen tank at her side as she sat there, waiting patiently for them to arrive.

He gave Sara a head nod in that direction and she responded with a sad smile at the sight of Linda Bennett, obviously looking a lot more sickly than the last time they'd been there. Sara reached out to take Neal's hand in hers and they led the way as the foursome followed behind, Liam and Caitlin still bickering under their breaths.

'Mom!' Neal called out as they got nearer. He watched as her face came alive, her smile warm and sincere.

'Neal!' she said in response, attempting to stand as he hurried over and put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from straining.

'Sit, sit' he said as Linda's eyes went to the large group that was following him.

'Sara!' she said as Sara peeked out from behind Neal and bent down to kiss the elderly woman's cheek.

'Linda, it's wonderful to see you again' Sara said as Neal witnessed the warm interaction with interest.

'Who are all these lovely young people?' Linda asked, her voice halting. The excitement was obviously taking its toll on her breathing.

Neal pulled all three of the kids forward, arms around their backs.

'Hope!' Linda said as Hope leaned in to hug her grandmother. 'You're even more beautiful than your pictures. And Liam, you are so tall!' she said, sounding like any other proud grandparent.

Liam placed a soft kiss on her cheek. 'Hi Grandma' he said softly as Linda let out a small whimper.

She'd never been called 'grandma' before and the sound was music to her ears. She quickly regained her composure, unwilling to become emotional and she turned to face Caitlin.

'This must be Caitlin' she said as the teen stood awkwardly, unsure how to behave.

'Hello, Mrs... Bennett' she said in a polite, reserved voice, so contrary to her outspoken nature.

'Neal tells me what a wonderful artist you are' said the old lady, her voice trembling. The teen smiled politely as Hope returned, tugging on Cameron's arm.

'Grandma, this is Cameron' she said with a proud smile as the young man took Linda's hand in both of his.

'It's nice to meet you' he said as Linda smiled – she couldn't stop smiling even if she tried.

'Ah, yes. Hope's young man and... Neal's right hand man' she said with a laugh, putting everyone at ease.

Sara's eyes met Neal's, sensing that he needed a bit of time alone with his mom; he had things to tell her and he was looking forward to creating happy memories on this bench where up until now there were only echoes of accusations and reproaches.

'Why don't we all go for a little walk and leave you two to talk for awhile' she said as she ran her hand up Neal's back.

Neal turned to face his wife, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. 'See you in a bit' he said as Linda Bennett watched the loving exchange between her son and daughter in law.

Neal and Linda watched as Sara and the kids wandered away and Neal took a seat on the bench next to his mom, his hand reaching out to gently take hers.

'Hi Mom!' he said tenderly. 'How are you doing?'

La fin


End file.
